Air quality assessment
Consider emissions from the proposal and existing air quality affecting future occupants. The scope should reflect the development, location and relevant planning requirements.
Explore air quality assessmentACP Consultants · Environmental Assessments
Understand the conditions that shape your site.
Environmental assessments for planning help explain how a development interacts with its surroundings. Explore air quality, noise, odour and contaminated land services, with evidence matched to the proposal and the people or places affected.
Find your starting point
Which environmental issue needs evidence?
A busy road, neighbouring industrial use or historic activity on the site can raise different questions. Select the relevant discipline before deciding whether monitoring, modelling or investigation is appropriate.
Noise surveys & assessments
Understand sound affecting the site or arising from the proposed use. Assessment can inform building design, mitigation and responses to planning conditions.
Explore noise assessmentsOdour assessment
Examine potential odour sources and sensitive neighbours. Consider how the proposed activity or site location affects assessment and control measures.
Explore odour assessmentContaminated land assessment
Review previous land uses and potential contamination risks. Establish the evidence needed before deciding whether further investigation or remediation is necessary.
Explore contaminated land assessmentA practical selection guide
Match the issue to the evidence
| Project question | Assessment focus | Useful information |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic, combustion or other emissions | Air quality | Site location, proposed use, traffic or plant information |
| Roads, railways, commercial activity or new equipment | Noise | Operating hours, equipment details and nearby sensitive uses |
| An odour-generating activity or sensitive neighbours | Odour | Process details, extraction arrangements and site layout |
| Historic industrial activity or uncertain ground conditions | Contaminated land | Land-use history, previous investigations and proposed end use |
One report does not automatically cover all four disciplines. Agree the relevant issues and assessment boundaries before commissioning work.
From evidence to design
Connect assessment with design decisions.
Ventilation, acoustic treatment, plant location and external spaces can influence more than one environmental assessment. Share the same drawings and operating assumptions across the project team. A change to plant, access or the proposed use may require the evidence to be reviewed.
Identify
Locate sources, sensitive neighbours and relevant site history.
Scope
Agree what needs assessment and which information is available.
Respond
Use the findings to inform design, mitigation and planning evidence.
Connected evidence
Explore the related questions.
Before you commission
Your questions, clarified.
Is this the same as an Environmental Impact Assessment?
Not necessarily. These are individual technical disciplines. Environmental Impact Assessment is a separate statutory process for qualifying development, within which technical studies may be coordinated.
Do all sites need monitoring or intrusive investigation?
No. The assessment method depends on the issue and available evidence. Desk-based review may identify what further work is necessary; monitoring or investigation should answer a defined question.
What should I send if the council has requested a report?
Include the exact request or condition, planning reference, latest drawings and any previous reports. This helps establish the issue that the evidence must address.
Further reading for England: Planning practice guidance. Requirements elsewhere in the UK may differ. Confirm the applicable requirements for your site.
Your next step
Discuss the environmental evidence for your site
Include the site address, proposed use, nearby activities, council correspondence and any existing technical reports.
You do not need a finished scope to start the discussion. Explain the decision you need to make and share the information you have.