Air Quality and Planning Guidance

Air quality may be a material consideration in determining planning applications. The aim of this document is to provide guidance on the way in which air quality and air pollution issues will be dealt with through the planning system. Poor air quality can have detrimental impacts on health and the amenity of users of land in terms of odour, dust and nuisance. The planning system has a key role in protecting people from unacceptable risks to their health and in providing an adequate protection to the amenity value of land. These considerations must, however, be balanced against other aims of the planning system such as to secure economic regeneration and provide adequate levels of housing. The aim is to achieve sustainable development in the borough that achieves the best balance of social, economic and environmental considerations. All of these considerations can have significance for both spatial policy and individual development control decisions.