Air Quality Statements (AQS)
Screening level assessments to evaluate potential air quality impacts.
Typically carried out for:
- Minor, low-risk developments
- Developments not located in areas sensitive to air pollution
- Developments unlikely to generate significant additional traffic once completed
What is an Air Quality Statement
An air quality statement, also known as an air quality screening assessment, is a report that evaluates how a proposed development could affect local air quality. It also provides a qualitative assessment of how existing air quality conditions may impact the development itself.
The level of traffic generated by a development is assessed using national guidance from the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) and Environmental Protection UK, as well as any relevant local planning policies.
What does an Air Quality Statement include?
Unlike more detailed air quality assessments, an air quality statement does not require dispersion modelling. Instead, it relies on existing data sources, including:
- Local air quality monitoring data
- Background pollution concentrations, such as the Defra background maps
- Local traffic data, typically derived from the Department for Transport (DfT).
- For developments in London, data from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI)
An air quality statement might also include an Air Quality Neutral Assessment and Air Quality Dust Risk Assessments (AQDRA).
What is the purpose?
The purpose of an air quality statement is to determine whether air quality concentrations across the proposed development are likely to meet the UK air quality objectives. It provides a proportionate, evidence-based approach to demonstrating that a development will not have a significant impact on local air quality.
