London Air Quality Focus Area (AQFA) Screening Tool
When Is an Air Quality Assessment Required in London?
Air quality planning requirements in London go further than the rest of the UK. Under the London Plan, all major development across Greater London must demonstrate air quality neutrality — and for minor development, an Air Quality Assessment is required where a site falls within a designated Air Quality Focus Area. Use this free tool to check whether your development triggers either requirement, then get in touch if you need professional support with your application.
Air Quality Planning Requirements in London
London has some of the most stringent air quality planning requirements in the UK, driven by persistently elevated concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter across much of the capital. The policy framework is set out in London Plan Policy SI1 (Improving Air Quality), which applies to all development in Greater London and operates alongside the national Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) regime.
What Is an Air Quality Focus Area?
Air Quality Focus Areas are designated zones within Greater London where air quality is considered to be of particular concern. They were introduced by the Mayor of London to identify locations where pollution levels are highest and where new development poses the greatest risk to public health. AQFAs are typically centred on busy road corridors, town centres, and areas with high concentrations of road traffic emissions, and their boundaries are defined by the Greater London Authority.
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Unlike AQMAs — which are declared by individual local authorities where national air quality objectives are being exceeded — AQFAs are a London-specific designation used to apply additional planning scrutiny to development in the most polluted parts of the capital.
When Is an Air Quality Assessment Required in London?
The requirements under London Plan Policy SI1 depend on the scale of the proposed development:
For major development — defined as 10 or more dwellings, 1,000 m² or more of floorspace, or a site area of 0.5 ha or more — an Air Quality Assessment is required for all sites anywhere in Greater London, regardless of whether the site falls within an AQFA or AQMA. Major development must demonstrate that it will be air quality neutral, meaning the development should not worsen local air quality in terms of either emissions or exposure.
For minor development — fewer than 10 dwellings, less than 1,000 m² floorspace, or a site area under 0.5 ha — an Air Quality Assessment is required where the site falls within a designated Air Quality Focus Area. Outside an AQFA, minor development is unlikely to trigger a formal assessment requirement under the London Plan, though borough-level policies may still apply.
Where a site falls within a nationally designated AQMA as well as a London AQFA, both policy frameworks will apply and should be addressed in the assessment.
What Does an Air Quality Assessment for London Include?
An Air Quality Assessment for a London planning application typically needs to cover:
Air quality neutral assessment — comparing the development's estimated emissions against benchmarks set by the GLA for both building energy use (the building emissions rate) and transport (based on trip generation and mode share). This is a mandatory requirement for all major development under Policy SI1.
Emissions impact assessment — evaluating the likely effect of construction and operational traffic on local air quality, particularly on roads that are already at or close to the NO₂ annual mean objective.
Exposure assessment — assessing the air quality conditions at the proposed development itself, to ensure that future occupants will not be exposed to pollutant concentrations above the relevant objectives. This is particularly relevant for residential development in AQFAs and AQMAs.
Mitigation and offsetting — where the development cannot demonstrate air quality neutrality, the assessment must set out mitigation measures (such as low-emission energy systems, active travel infrastructure, or EV charging provision) or financial contributions to GLA or borough air quality funds.
Our assessments are prepared in accordance with London Plan Policy SI1, the Mayor's SPG on Sustainable Design and Construction, and IAQM guidance, and are tailored to the requirements of the relevant London Borough.
What Is the Difference Between an AQFA and an AQMA in London?
Both designations identify areas of poor air quality, but they originate from different policy frameworks and carry different planning implications.
An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) is a nationally defined designation, declared by a local authority under the Environment Act 1995 where air quality objectives for pollutants such as NO₂ or PM₁₀ are being exceeded or are at risk of exceedance. There are over 500 AQMAs across England, and many London boroughs have declared AQMAs along their most heavily trafficked roads.
An Air Quality Focus Area (AQFA) is a London-specific designation introduced by the Mayor of London to identify the areas of greatest air quality concern within Greater London. AQFAs are defined at a finer spatial scale than many AQMAs and are used specifically to apply additional planning policy requirements under London Plan Policy SI1.
In practice, many AQFAs overlap with or are adjacent to existing AQMAs, but the two designations do not always coincide. A site can fall within an AQFA without being in an AQMA, and vice versa. The checker above shows both layers simultaneously so you can see how they relate to your site.
Why Use This Tool?
This tool was developed by Air & Flood Consultants to help architects, planning consultants, and developers in London carry out a quick preliminary check before committing to a scope of work. It is not a substitute for professional advice — boundary data can change, borough requirements vary, and there are site-specific factors that a map check alone cannot capture — but it gives you a reliable starting point and helps you understand what the relevant policy framework requires before you engage with the Local Planning Authority.
If your check indicates that an Air Quality Assessment is required, or if you are unsure how the result applies to your specific project, contact our team for a no-obligation scoping discussion.
Need an Air Quality Assessment for a London planning application?
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