Development and Air Quality

1 Introduction

Overview

1.1 Air quality is one of the most important issues in managing our environment and has a direct impact on our health and well-being.  Compared to around 50 years ago environmental air quality nationally is generally very good.  However, despite our progress there are still unacceptably high levels of pollution in some areas.

1.2 Nationally up to 24,000 people die prematurely every year in Britain and many thousands more require hospital treatment due to short term exposure to air pollution.

1.3 Air pollutants are often man-made, from traffic, heating, power generation, construction activity, manufacturing, quarrying and waste disposal.  The key aim is to limit the negative impact as much as possible in order to get the best air quality achievable.

1.4 In Wigan road traffic pollution is of particular concern as around 10% of the population live close to main roads.  In a Citizen Panel Survey conducted in 2006 almost half reported that they had been bothered to some degree by air pollution from traffic.

1.5 The management of air quality is a complicated science and despite continuing research, the effects on health are still not fully understood.  It is however accepted that better air quality does lead to better health.

1.6 Wigan Council is responsible for tackling poor local air quality in a cost effective way.  The planning system can be a key method for providing improvement or minimising impacts.  As a result air quality is an important material consideration in many planning decisions.

1.7 The aim of this document is to safeguard the environment by encouraging sustainable development that balances and integrates economic, social and environmental benefits.

1.8 It sets out a progressive approach to achieve this.  Significant adverse impacts on air quality should be avoided if possible.  Where they are unavoidable measures to lessen and compensate for the impacts should be applied.

1.9 In line with the national sustainable development strategy it follows the principle that environmental costs should fall on those who impose them. This is known as the “polluter pays principle”.  Therefore developers will need to consider air quality where:

• it may have an adverse effect on the proposed use, for example, the development of housing or a school adjacent to busy roads or significant industrial sources, or
• emissions from a proposed development may have adverse effects on existing local air quality, for example, a proposed development will lead to significant emissions to air or will generate a significant increase in emissions from road traffic.

1.10 This supplementary planning document provides detailed guidance on how to assess the impacts your development may have on air quality and how these should be addressed.

The local context

1.11 There is a National Air Quality Strategy to tackle air pollution (see Appendix A ‘Useful documents and links’).  Under this strategy local councils have to assess air quality from time to time and identify locations where national air quality targets may be exceeded.  There are currently seven key pollutants of local concern.  If the public may be exposed to poor air quality in respect of any of these pollutants, the council must declare the location as an Air Quality Management Area.

1.12 There are two key air pollutants (nitrogen dioxide and particulates) that currently approach or exceed the targets in Wigan and Air Quality Management Areas have been identified, all of which lie along principal roads.  Clearly, therefore, emissions from motor vehicle traffic are a significant factor in poor air quality for Wigan.

1.13 The Air Quality Management Areas in Wigan are shown on the Replacement Unitary Development Plan Proposal Map.

1.14 As a result of identifying Air Quality Management Areas, an Air Quality Action Plan has been developed.  This plan sets out a programme of actions towards achieving the national air quality objectives and includes the use of local planning policies and guidance. 

1.15 This document supports and supplements the council’s main planning policy on pollution, EV1B included in the Replacement Unitary Development Plan.  The policy states:

1.16 The document also supports other policies included in the Replacement Unitary Development Plan that relate to wider sustainability issues.  Additional guidance is also contained within other planning documents, for example the Travel Plan Supplementary Planning Document.

1.17 Greenhouse gas emissions are not controlled under the Local Air Quality Management regime.  However, the aims of reducing emissions to improve air quality and reducing the release of greenhouse gases are often complementary. The aim of policy and suggested practice is to promote this link wherever possible.

1.18 The preparation of supplementary guidance on development and air quality will benefit the borough’s communities and improve their well being.  These benefits are diverse and include:

• Reducing energy costs in homes and other buildings
• Protecting areas from increase in pollution
• Improving access to services for non car users
• Improving the physical environment
• Potential to reduce carbon emissions

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