Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) UK Screening Tool
When Is an Air Quality Assessment Required?
If your development site falls within a designated Air Quality Management Area, your planning application is likely to require an Air Quality Assessment. Use this free screening tool below to check whether your site is within an AQMA — simply select your development type and enter your postcode.
Local authorities across the UK designate AQMAs in areas where national air quality objectives are being exceeded or are at risk of being exceeded — most commonly for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from road traffic. Under the National Planning Policy Framework and local planning policies, major development within an AQMA will typically require a formal Air Quality Assessment as part of the planning application.
For major development, this means schemes of 10 or more dwellings, 1,000 m² or more of floorspace, or a site area of 0.5 ha or more. For minor development within an AQMA, requirements vary by local authority — it is always worth confirming with the Local Planning Authority at pre-application stage.
What Does an Air Quality Assessment Involve?
An Air Quality Assessment typically includes a review of existing air quality conditions at and around the site, an assessment of emissions from the proposed development (including traffic, plant, and energy systems), an evaluation of the impact on existing sensitive receptors, and recommendations for mitigation or offsetting measures where required. Our assessments are prepared in accordance with IAQM guidance and local authority requirements.
What Does an Air Quality Assessment Involve?
Need an Air Quality Assessment for your planning application? Contact us for a no-obligation scoping discussion.