Policy information sourced from the Lewisham Local Plan

SD6 Improving air quality

Strategic Objectives:

E Responding to the climate emergency,

G Healthy and safe communities,

H Securing the timely delivery of infrastructure.

A Poor air quality is a significant public health issue in Lewisham. All new development must use the design-led approach and integrate on-site measures to improve air quality and prevent or minimise the population’s exposure to poor air quality, having regard to Lewisham’s Air Quality Management Plan.

B Development proposals must:

  • Seek to improve air quality and be at least air quality neutral;
  • Not lead to a further deterioration of existing poor air quality;
  • Not 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; and
  • Not create unacceptable risk of high levels of exposure to poor air quality.

C Air Quality Assessments must be submitted with proposals for:

  • Major development;
  • Minor development within an Air Quality Management Area and/or Air Quality Focus Area if the development is likely to adversely impact on air quality or introduce new sensitive receptors to exposure to an area of existing poor air quality; and
  • Community infrastructure or other uses (including public open space) that are likely to be used by large numbers of particularly vulnerable groups, such as older people and children and young people.

D Development proposals must demonstrate how they will comply with the Non-Road Mobile Machinery Low Emission Zone requirements and reduce emissions from the demolition and construction of buildings following the Mayor’s ‘The Control of Dust and Emissions for Construction and Demolition’ SPG, or subsequent guidance.

E Development proposals will be considered having regard to their individual and cumulative impacts on air quality. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of (A) and (B) above will be refused unless it can be suitably demonstrated that adverse impacts can be mitigated to an acceptable level. Mitigation should be provided onsite. In exceptional circumstances where it is demonstrated that on-site mitigation is not feasible, off-site provision may be acceptable where equivalent air quality benefits will be delivered in the area affected by the development.

For more information and policy context please see the Lewisham Local Plan