Guidance for ammonia emitting planning applications

Recent interim guidance has been issued by Natural England and the Environment Agency with regards to their assessment of air quality risk for planning applications and environmental permits respectively which could have a likely significant effect on international sites. Their guidance acknowledges that at the moment there are differing approaches to thresholds of insignificance with regards to air quality pollutants, however it is stressed that the agencies are working together currently so that in the long-term alignment is hoped to be achieved. In addition, Natural Resources Wales have also updated their guidance, which is available online.

We have therefore taken the decision to update the guidance it originally published in 2018. This new guidance is partly informed by the latest guidance published by Natural Resources Wales and Natural England but adapted and expanded to be in line with approaches and guidance for other sectors (such as industry and transportation), as well as published best practice guidance documents published by the Institute of Air Quality Management and the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.