Air Quality Assessment
- brendan mccormack
- Jun 23
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 8
Air Quality Solutions provides the UK's leading air quality assessment service. Our expert air quality specialists have supported hundreds of planning applications across the UK.
We are the only air quality consultancy to provide FREE Air Quality Assessments; simply request a quote and see if your proposal qualifies. This unique service has saved our clients thousands of pounds and you can receive the same today.
Air Quality Solutions provides the fastest turnaround times and best prices in the industry. Our air quality assessments are delivered to the highest standard so you can always be confident in your results.
See what our clients say:
“Thank you for the air quality assessment and your prompt turnaround. I would recommend to all my clients for your excellent service.” - John Pittaway, Architecture Planning
“The assessment was conducted swiftly and professionally, delivering a detailed report much quicker than anticipated. Highly recommend.” - Sadaf Pourzand, Studio Fifty Four
“I was amazed by the high standard and the prompt service you provided free of cost. I wish you all the best.” - Adil Kamran, Best Home UK
...and many more! Get in touch to receive your air quality assessment near me.
For those still reading, in this article we explore everything you need to know about an air quality assessment in the UK.
The Requirement For Air Quality Assessment UK
Poor air quality is a major public health issue, and long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to a wide range of serious health conditions. The government estimates between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths occur each year due to human-made air pollution.
To tackle this, there is a wide range of measures implemented in the UK for pollution control. A well-known case is London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which aims to reduce the number of vehicles and encourage upgrading vehicles to comply with emission standards. Air quality assessments are also a method used to reduce air pollution.
Air quality assessments can be split into two types: indoor and outdoor. Both are important and have different use cases. For example, indoor assessments are needed once a development is finished, whilst outdoor assessments focus on pre-construction and are commonly required in planning applications.
Air Quality Solutions is a leading provider of (Outdoor) Air Quality Assessment.
Understanding Air Quality Policy
Air quality assessments are taken in accordance with National and Local Planning Policy. Part IV of the Environment Act (1995) requires the UK government to produce a national Air Quality Strategy, which contains standards, objectives, and guidelines for improving ambient air quality.
In the UK, the most common pollutants are NOx, PM10, and PM2.5, and the main contributor of these pollutants is motor vehicles. As such, air quality assessments typically focus on these pollutants and the impact motor vehicles generated by a development have on surrounding air quality.
The World Health Organisation’s Air Quality Guidelines state there is no “safe” level of air pollution, so there is a lot more work to be done in the UK. We anticipate these thresholds to become stricter, and assessments to become more essential to planning applications in the years to come.
Air Quality Assessment Near Me
Air Quality Solutions provides a UK-wide service so whether you need an air quality assessment in London or Glasgow, we have you covered.
Our expert air quality consultants have completed air pollution assessments all over the UK, so we are familiar with the local constraints and regulatory nuances in each region. Contact us today if you need an air quality assessment near me.
Below we highlight how air quality assessment policies and contexts differ in key UK cities.
Air Quality Assessment London
Due to London’s dense urban environment, it experiences some of the worst air pollutant concentrations in the UK. Most of the London region is designated as an Air Quality Management Area and it contains Air Quality Focus Areas which are hotspots of poor air quality.
To tackle this, London has some of the strictest air quality policy which is reflected when undertaking an air quality assessment in London.
London’s planning framework, guided by the London Plan, requires developers in London to demonstrate their proposals are “Air Quality Neutral” (and sometimes Air Quality Positive), meaning the development’s building and transport emissions are required to meet strict benchmarks so proposals don’t worsen pollution.
Due to higher pollution concentration and stricter policy, proposals in London frequently require air quality dispersion modelling which is considered in the air quality impact assessment.
Air Quality Assessment Manchester
Manchester and its surrounding Greater Manchester region present a different context. Historically an industrial hub, Manchester has battled poor air quality for decades and was once ranked among Europe’s most polluted urban areas.
In recent years, however, monitoring data shows improvements in NO₂ and PM levels, especially following the COVID-19 lockdowns, though some locations still exceed UK Air Quality Objectives for pollutants.
Nonetheless, Manchester air quality assessments are required for nearly all sizable planning applications, to ensure new developments don’t harm local air quality.
Manchester’s development boom in recent years with new arenas and high-rises means air quality assessments Manchester are very important to develop the city strategically without causing a deterioration in air quality.
Recent major developments in Manchester include the Viadux Phase 2 apartment and the Fallowfield Campus student accommodation redevelopment. The developments will need air quality assessments to address their specific context. For instance, evaluating the increase in vehicles around Viadux and to assess the dust emissions generated from demolishing the old Fallowfield student campus.
Air Quality Assessment Birmingham
Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city, has its own air quality challenges and policy landscape. Like other big cities, air quality assessment Birmingham must consider AQMAs covering much of the urban area due to traffic-related pollution.
In 2021, Birmingham became one of the first UK cities (after London) to implement a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in its city centre. Early results have shown a significant improvement: between 2019 and 2022, average NO₂ levels inside the Birmingham CAZ dropped by about 17% after the zone’s introduction.
Despite these gains, Birmingham air quality assessments are still critical for new projects to ensure localised pollution is addressed.
Birmingham’s push for sustainable transport in new developments shapes mitigation measures provided in air quality emission mitigation assessments. Birmingham’s Parking Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) explicitly supports sustainable transport by reducing reliance on private cars and improving Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle infrastructure.
What is an Air Quality Assessment?
Air quality assessments can be categorised into two types: Basic Air Quality Assessment and Detailed Air Quality Assessment.
All air quality assessment contains a Construction Phase Dust Assessment, which is used to estimate impacts and provide mitigation measures to minimise dust emissions during the construction phase.
Basic Air Quality Assessment
Simple air quality assessments do not contain a dispersion model and are typically sufficient for smaller developments. In these air quality reports, we look at the baseline conditions and assess the need for a further assessment (i.e. Air Quality Impact Assessment).
Air quality consultants use Annual Status Report monitoring data, DEFRA background concentrations, and site context to provide an estimate of what conditions will be like on site.
A further air quality assessment is determined if anticipated traffic exceeds screening criteria and if there is potential for future occupants to be exposed to unacceptable levels of air pollution.
Air Quality Dispersion Modelling Assessment
For larger developments or in areas where air quality is particularly bad such as Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs), we need a more accurate view of the expected air quality concentrations on site, so we build a dispersion model.
Air quality dispersion modelling assessments can be categorised as Detailed Air Quality Assessments or Air Quality Impact Assessment (AQIA). The standard air quality report predominantly focuses on the on-site conditions. The results from the dispersion model are compared to the AQOs and this determines whether a site requires an air quality emission mitigation assessment and if a further air quality impact assessment is required.
Air quality impact assessment reports are the most extensive and also consider the air quality at off-site sensitive receptors.
Air Quality Dispersion Modelling
The dispersion model takes several data sources and models how air pollutants move and spread through the atmosphere.
It is used to provide a more accurate view of what we expect pollutant concentrations to be like both at the development and at surrounding sensitive receptors like residential areas, schools, or hospitals.
The model uses a combination of inputs, including:

Meteorological data (typically a year’s worth of hourly data from a nearby weather station) to account for wind speed, direction, temperature, and atmospheric stability.
Traffic data to represent the number, type, and speed of vehicles expected to use local roads once the development is operational.
Topographical data which affect how pollutants disperse in real-world settings.
Monitoring data which is used to verify the dispersion model against real world conditions to ensure it is functioning accurately.
The most commonly used model in the UK is ADMS, although other models such as AERMOD are used in some contexts.
Air Quality Emission Mitigation Assessment
When developments exceed Air Quality Objectives (AQOs), developers must implement mitigation measures to reduce or offset their impact.
These measures and estimated cost are included in an Air Quality Emission Mitigation Assessment.
Mitigation can be wide-ranging and are typically tailored to the source and scale of the expected emissions. The financial impact of development emissions is quantified using a DEFRA Damage Cost Assessment.
Internal emission mitigation measures aim to reduce pollutant exposure once the development is occupied. These can include the use of mechanical ventilation with filtration, sealed windows, or locating intake vents away from pollution sources such as busy roads. In some cases, green walls or vegetation barriers are used to enhance natural filtration.
External mitigation addresses the emissions generated by the development itself, most commonly from vehicle traffic. Typical strategies include:
Provision of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure
Designing developments to encourage active travel (walking and cycling)
Upgrading local roads to improve traffic flow and reduce idling
Incorporating low-emission boilers or heat pumps instead of gas heating
In London and other high-risk areas, developments may also need to contribute to offsetting funds to achieve Air Quality Neutrality.
Ultimately, the goal of air quality mitigation is to ensure the development does not worsen air quality for existing or future residents and ideally contributes to a net improvement.
Air Quality Assessment Tools
Traditionally, air quality assessments have been time-consuming and prone to error. To address this challenge, we developed air quality assessment tools to streamline the entire assessment process, from quote to report.
We wanted to revolutionise how an air quality assessment is completed. After reviewing feedback from clients, we found their top priorities boiled down to three things: Speed, Price, and Quality.

Fastest Air Quality Assessment
One of the most common questions clients ask is: “How long will it take?” or “Can you complete it in [X] time?” - only to be disappointed when hearing it would be much longer than expected.
We understood that clients value quick turnarounds and identified several areas in the assessment process that could be streamlined or automated.
So, we built software specifically to target these repetitive, manual stages. We have now cut assessment time on average by 80% and lead the industry in turnaround times.
Cheapest Air Quality Assessment
It is no surprise that air quality assessment cost is an important factor when clients consider what air quality consultancy to pick.
Through the significant automations made with our software, we have been able to make the cost of completing assessments much cheaper. This has enabled us to offer clients the most competitive pricing in the industry.
Air Quality Solutions provide Industry-leading prices and the first FREE Air Quality Assessment.
Highest Standard Air Quality Assessment
By developing streamlined, automated methodologies, we’ve improved both the accuracy and reliability of assessments.
Traditionally, air quality assessment consultants manually estimate key inputs like vehicle speeds and road widths - a process prone to inconsistency and human error.
Our system eliminates these risks by automatically pulling precise, verified data from multiple authoritative sources.
We can now model more accurately than ever before, and our reports are more reliable.
Why Air Quality Solutions?
The future of air quality assessments lies in speed, affordability, and accuracy and we're proud to be leading that transformation.
By listening to our clients and building purpose-built software, we've redefined how air quality assessments are completed. Our system dramatically reduces turnaround time, lowers costs, and improves reliability by eliminating manual errors and streamlining every step of the process.
Do you need an Air Quality Assessment? Contact us today for a free quote.