Policy information sourced from the Grove Park Neighbourhood Plan

SE2 Improving Air Quality

  1. An overall improvement in the air quality of the neighbourhood will be sought. New development should consider how it will address air quality and the impact construction will have, as well as the lifetime contribution of the finished development. Proposals to address air quality should be proportional to the nature and scale of development proposed. In addition to Policies T1-T3, new development will be required to:
    1. Reduce impacts and implement air quality neutral standards.
    2. Provide an air quality assessment (to determine likely significant effects) that considers the potential impacts of pollution from the development on the site on neighbouring areas, particularly if contributing to the exceedance of Government air quality objectives.
    3. Promote high quality building standards, reduce energy use, and require the preparation of low emissions strategies to help to reduce local emissions of air pollutants. For example, installation of more efficient low NOx boilers.
    4. In areas where pollution concentrations are high, and where particularly vulnerable members of the population are likely to be present, e.g. school buildings, development should, where possible be sited away from busy roads or vehicular restriction zones implemented.
    5. Wherever possible, development should not create a building configuration that inhibits effective pollution dispersion.
  2. Where development generates significant additional traffic, provision of a detailed travel plan (with provision to measure its implementation and effect) will be required which sets out measures to encourage sustainable means of transport (public, cycling and walking) via improved links to bus stops, improved infrastructure and layouts to improve accessibility and safety and/or support more sustainable car uses in line with Policy T3. This should include Improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure in line with Policies T1 and T23.
  3. New development should be designed to minimise public exposure to pollution sources, e.g. by locating habitable rooms away from busy roads or directing combustion generated pollutants through well sited vents or chimney stack. The use of air quality neutral technologies like air/ground-source heat pumps or photo- voltaics should be prioritised and passive design will be favoured to address heating and cooling and avoid the overheating of homes due to increased airtight design.

For more information and policy context please see the Grove Park Neighbourhood Plan