Policy information sourced from the Islington Local Plan
S7 Improving Air Quality
- All development proposals must mitigate or prevent adverse impacts on air quality, and investigate and implement all reasonable opportunities to improve air quality. Development proposals will be refused where they would:
- cause significant harm to air quality, cumulatively or individually;
- lead to further deterioration of existing poor air quality, create any new areas that exceed air quality limits, or delay the date at which compliance will be achieved in areas that are currently in exceedance of legal limits;
- reduce any air quality benefits that result from active measures/activities which seek to improve air quality; or
- create unacceptable risk of high levels of exposure to poor air quality.
- Major developments, minor new build developments, and larger minor extensions must be at least Air Quality Neutral through provision of on-site measures. Such developments are required to submit an Air Quality Assessment (AQA) as part of the SDCS; the level of detail of the AQA must be proportionate to the scale of proposed development, but must include details of how Air Quality Neutral will be achieved. A preliminary AQA must be carried out before designing the development, to inform the design process.
- Minor developments not covered by Part B are encouraged to be at least Air Quality Neutral through on-site measures, where feasible.
- Developments in excess of 150 net additional residential units or 10,000sqm net additional gross external floorspace must be Air Quality Positive and implement measures on-site to actively reduce air pollution as far as possible.
- Measures to address air quality implemented in line with relevant requirements in Parts A to D must be implemented through on-site design solutions, to prevent or minimise increased exposure to existing air pollution and make provision to address local air quality issues. Particular care must be taken with developments that are in Air Quality Focus Areas (AQFAs) or that are likely to be used by large numbers of people particularly vulnerable to poor air quality, such as children or older people. Where adequate mitigation is not provided, planning permission may be refused.
- Where it can be demonstrated that on-site measures are impractical or inappropriate, off-site measures to improve local air quality may be acceptable, provided that at least equivalent air quality benefits can be demonstrated. Where off-site measures cannot be provided to a sufficient standard, a financial off-setting contribution secured through a legal agreement may also be acceptable.
For more information please see the Islington Local Plan