Expert air quality, dust and odour assessments across the Square Mile. Our chartered professionals support planning applications in the City of London and the surrounding financial district.
The City of London is one of the most intensively developed areas in the United Kingdom, with a skyline defined by landmark towers including the Gherkin, the Cheesegrater, the Walkie-Talkie and a growing cluster of new high-rise schemes. The entire Square Mile falls within both the Greater London Air Quality Management Area and the Ultra Low Emission Zone, making air quality a fundamental consideration for virtually every planning application submitted to the Corporation of London.
The density of development, the concentration of traffic on key routes such as London Wall, Cannon Street, Bishopsgate and Leadenhall Street, and the proximity of sensitive receptors — including residential properties, schools and workers in neighbouring buildings — means that air quality assessments, air quality neutral assessments and construction dust assessments are consistently required. Basement excavations and demolition projects present particular challenges given the confined urban environment and the need to protect both above-ground and underground infrastructure.
At Air Dust Odour, we work with developers, architects and planning consultants on City of London projects of all scales. Our Chartered Environmentalists understand the Corporation's planning policies, the requirements of the London Plan and the GLA's air quality guidance, and deliver technically robust reports that satisfy planning officers and keep your development programme on track.
We provide specialist air quality, dust and odour assessment services for planning applications across the City of London and the wider financial district.
Screening and detailed air quality assessments for office towers, residential conversions, mixed-use schemes and infrastructure projects in the Square Mile. Our assessments follow IAQM guidance and address the Corporation of London's requirements, including exposure assessment at upper floors of tall buildings and mitigation design for developments close to busy road corridors.
Dust risk assessments and Construction Environmental Management Plans for demolition, basement excavation and construction projects in the City of London. The extreme density of the Square Mile and the presence of sensitive receptors in adjacent buildings make a robust dust assessment and CEMP essential. We address hoarding, wheel washing, site access management and monitoring requirements to satisfy planning conditions.
Odour risk assessments for restaurants, cafes, corporate dining facilities and commercial kitchens in the City of London following the EMAQ+ methodology. Rooftop flues and extract systems in densely built-up areas require careful assessment to demonstrate that odour will not adversely affect residential or office occupiers in adjacent or upper-floor locations.
Demonstrating that a proposed development does not exceed transport and building emission benchmarks as required by the London Plan and the Corporation of London's Local Plan. Air quality neutral assessments are required for major schemes in the City and we have extensive experience preparing these assessments in line with current GLA guidance, including the assessment of combined heat and power systems and district heating networks.
We provide air quality, dust and odour assessment services across the City of London and the surrounding areas.
Yes, almost certainly. The entire City of London falls within Greater London's Air Quality Management Area and within the Ultra Low Emission Zone. The Corporation of London requires air quality assessments for the vast majority of major planning applications, including tall buildings, office-to-residential conversions and basement developments. Given the density of development and the concentration of traffic on arterial routes such as London Wall, Cannon Street and Bishopsgate, air quality assessments, air quality neutral assessments and construction dust assessments are routinely requested as planning conditions.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone operates 24 hours a day, every day, across Greater London including the entire City of London. Vehicles that do not meet emission standards are charged a daily fee. For developers, the ULEZ shapes the air quality baseline and has reduced roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations across much of the Square Mile. However, planning policy still requires a formal assessment of air quality impacts for developments that generate significant traffic, introduce new sensitive receptors near busy roads, or involve construction activities in areas with existing receptors.
Costs depend on the scope and complexity of assessment required. Screening assessments typically start from around £500, detailed air quality assessments with dispersion modelling from around £1,500, and air quality neutral assessments from around £800. City of London developments often require combined assessments covering air quality, construction dust and building emissions. Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote tailored to your project.
Yes. The City of London has extremely dense sensitive receptors — office workers, residents, visitors and occupants of adjacent buildings — and the Corporation requires a dust risk assessment and Construction Environmental Management Plan for virtually all demolition, basement excavation and construction projects. Given the proximity of listed buildings, underground infrastructure and neighbouring occupiers, a robust CEMP is essential to obtain planning permission and to manage dust effectively throughout the build programme.
An Air Quality Neutral assessment demonstrates that a development's transport and building emissions do not exceed benchmark values for the relevant land use. The Corporation of London, following the London Plan, requires air quality neutral assessments for major developments. This means demonstrating that the building's energy systems and the traffic generated by the development collectively fall within acceptable emission limits. We prepare air quality neutral assessments in line with current GLA guidance and the City of London's Local Plan requirements.
