Proposals that have an impact on air quality will be permitted, subject to the following criteria being met:

1. Proposals for development which have the potential, by virtue of their scale, nature and/or location, to have a negative impact on air quality at identified exceedance areas, as defined through the Local Air Quality Management process, will be required to submit an Air Quality Impact Assessment (AQIA) to consider the potential impacts of pollution from individual and cumulative development, and to demonstrate how the air quality impacts of the development will be mitigated to acceptable levels;

2. Proposals for development which have the potential, by virtue of their scale, nature and/or location, to have a significant negative impact on air quality within identified Air Quality Management Areas will be required to submit an AQIA to consider the potential impacts of pollution from individual and cumulative development, and to demonstrate how the air quality impacts of the development will be mitigated to acceptable levels, even where there will be no negative impact at identified exceedance areas;

3. Other development proposals, where criteria 1 and 2 do not apply, but which by virtue of their scale, nature and/or location have the potential to generate a negative impact on air quality within identified Air Quality Management Areas will not be required to submit an AQIA, but should demonstrate how the air quality impacts of the development will be minimised; and

4. Development proposals which have the potential, by virtue of their scale, nature and/or location, to have a significant negative impact on air quality outside of identified Air Quality Management Areas will submit an AQIA to consider the potential impacts of pollution from individual and cumulative development, and to demonstrate how the air quality impacts of the development will be mitigated to acceptable levels.

For more information, please visit Maidstone’s Local Plan Maidstone Borough Council Local Plan 2021-2038