EQ4 — - air quality.

We are taking this approach because 9.7 Air quality issues in the borough are well known. The council’s Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) designates the whole borough as an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), and identifies road transport as the major source of air pollution, giving rise to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter which can cause respiratory illnesses and other adverse health effects. Hounslow, like every local authority, has a statutory duty to work towards air quality targets established in the Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy and in government and European policy. 9.8 Where development is proposed in areas of poor air quality, planning considerations are twofold. Firstly, the contribution that the development makes to air pollution requires careful consideration so as to avoid exacerbation of existing problems. This may mean, for example, that developments in certain areas that may attract a high number of vehicle movements, or contribute to emissions through the use of biomass, should be avoided. Secondly, the health and well-being of end users needs to be protected and maintained, and as such, specific measures regarding internal ventilation and air filtering may be required. Both of these considerations are particularly important in locations that exceed European Union limit values, and areas that currently exceed these limits include Great West Road, London Road, and Chiswick High Road. The council’s Air Quality SPD sets out the information required for air quality assessments and further guidance on air quality considerations. Early assessment of the air quality environment is encouraged, as potential mitigation measures can have implications on the proposed design, construction and sustainability of proposals. Air quality assessments should demonstrate how exposure to pollutants would be reduced to within acceptable levels, including known uncertainty of the model used. Design and mitigation measures will usually be required through planning conditions. The council’s AQAP is currently under revision, and progress reports are published annually AQMAs are designated where air quality objectives are not likely to be met, which in the case of Hounslow is the whole borough. European air quality policy is set out in Directive 50/2008/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe. This requires exposure levels of harmful pollutants to be reduced and set out limit values which the borough should work towards. The London Plan requires developments to be ‘air quality neutral’, by using the best available techniques to be applied to minimise pollutant emissions.

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