Expert air quality, dust and odour assessments across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Our chartered professionals support planning applications throughout the Clean Air Zone and wider combined authority area.
Birmingham presents significant air quality challenges for developers. The city has a large Air Quality Management Area and was one of the first cities outside London to introduce a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in June 2021, covering the area within the A4540 Middleway ring road. With a substantial development pipeline including HS2, the Birmingham Smithfield regeneration and the transformation of Digbeth, demand for air quality and dust assessments across the city continues to grow.
The Birmingham Development Plan requires air quality assessments for most major planning applications, particularly those that introduce new sensitive receptors, generate significant traffic movements or involve demolition and construction activities. Birmingham City Council expects assessments to follow IAQM guidance and to address the specific implications of the Clean Air Zone on local pollutant concentrations.
At Air Dust Odour, we work with developers, architects and planning consultants across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands Combined Authority area. Our Chartered Environmentalists understand the specific requirements of Birmingham City Council and the metropolitan boroughs, delivering clear, authoritative reports that satisfy planning authorities and help your project move forward without delay.
We provide specialist air quality, dust and odour assessment services for planning applications across Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Screening and detailed air quality assessments for residential, commercial and mixed-use developments across Birmingham. Our assessments follow IAQM guidance and address the specific requirements of Birmingham's planning policies, including the implications of the Clean Air Zone on local air quality conditions and exposure at proposed receptor locations.
Dust risk assessments and Construction Environmental Management Plans for demolition, earthworks and construction activities. With major projects such as HS2 and the Digbeth regeneration reshaping the city, Birmingham City Council requires robust dust management strategies that protect nearby residents and businesses from construction impacts.
Odour risk assessments for restaurants, takeaways, cafes and commercial kitchens following the EMAQ+ methodology. We advise on extraction systems and filtration specifications to meet the requirements of Birmingham City Council and help your food premises achieve planning consent.
Demonstrating that transport and building emissions from your development do not contribute to a worsening of local air quality. We calculate emissions against relevant benchmarks and, where necessary, identify mitigation measures to achieve air quality neutrality in line with emerging best practice and local policy expectations.
We provide air quality, dust and odour assessment services across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands Combined Authority area.
Most major development proposals in Birmingham will require an air quality assessment. Birmingham has a large Air Quality Management Area covering much of the city, and the Birmingham Development Plan requires air quality assessments for developments that could affect air quality or introduce sensitive receptors into areas of poor air quality. If your project is within or near the Clean Air Zone, generates significant traffic, or involves construction in a sensitive area, an air quality assessment is very likely to be required.
Birmingham introduced its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in June 2021, becoming one of the first cities outside London to do so. The CAZ covers the city centre area within the A4540 Middleway ring road. Non-compliant vehicles are charged for entering the zone. For developers, the CAZ has important implications for air quality assessments, as developments within or near the zone must consider its effects on pollutant concentrations and demonstrate that the development will not worsen local air quality.
Costs depend on the type and complexity of the assessment. Screening assessments typically start from around £500, detailed air quality assessments with dispersion modelling from around £1,500, and kitchen odour assessments from around £800. The scope is influenced by factors such as site location relative to the Clean Air Zone, development size and the specific requirements of the local planning authority. Contact us for a tailored, no-obligation quote for your project.
If your development involves demolition, earthworks or construction activities, a construction dust risk assessment is likely to be required by Birmingham City Council. The assessment follows IAQM guidance and identifies the risk of dust impacts on nearby receptors, then sets out appropriate mitigation measures in a Dust Management Plan or Construction Environmental Management Plan. This is particularly important for sites near residential areas, schools or hospitals.
Developments in Birmingham must comply with national air quality objectives for pollutants including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. The Birmingham Development Plan and its supporting guidance set out the local policy requirements, which typically align with IAQM guidance on land-use planning and development control. Assessments must demonstrate that the development will not cause any new exceedances of air quality objectives and that future occupants will experience acceptable air quality conditions.
