APRIL saw the appearance of a draft of guidance on air quality considerations in local development planning, soon to be published by the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) and Environmental Protection UK (EPUK).
The document is intended to afford an important place for air quality land-use planning in development control processes in England and Wales.
A 28-page publication, it is expected that only very minor alterations are expected to be made before the final version is ready, according to a report in Air Quality News.
Not a formal or legal document, it is intended to offer advice to professionals working in the planning system. It has been revised to reflect changes to policy and legislation since the previous edition of the guidance was published in 2010.
The guidance sets out principles of good practice when planning developments. These include things like staying within the terms of a council’s Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), taking steps to avoid the creation of ‘street canyons’ which inhibit pollution dispersion, and setting minimum emissions standards for local gas-fired combined heat and power plants. A development should be designed to minimise public exposure to air pollution, suggests the document.
