Air quality guidance for developers

New developments have the potential to have an adverse impact on air quality from increasing traffic, industrial emissions or biomass etc. Residential properties could also potentially be built in areas already exceeding the air quality standards, exposing new receptors to increasing levels of pollutants. Because of this, it is our duty at Perth & Kinross Council to assess new developments and ensure that they are designed in such a way to minimise the impacts from emissions, such as those related to transport and combustion processes. In 2020, Perth & Kinross Council published Air Quality and Planning Supplementary Guidance (PDF) [2MB] . The purpose of the guidance is to set out how air quality will be considered when determining planning applications and detail the circumstances in which an air quality assessment may be required. 

Assessment of air quality impact of development 

Should an air quality assessment require to be prepared, as part of your planning application, it is recommended that a suitably qualified consultant contacts the Environmental Health Team to discuss further. We advise on air quality matters in planning issues.  For example, we may review reports that accompany a planning application. 

It is likely that air quality assessments will mainly be required within or adjacent to the Perth or Crieff Air Quality Management Areas however assessments may also be required in some other cases depending on the nature of the application. 

Perth & Kinross Council have a number of air quality monitoring sites across the area. The results of our monitoring can be made available to inform any air quality assessment. If there is not sufficient monitoring in the area under consideration, monitoring may require to be carried out on behalf of the potential developer to support a particular application. 

Air quality issues can be complex and could have a major impact on your development. So please get in touch with us as early as possible if you have any queries.