Environmental Assessments in Guernsey
Air quality, dust and odour assessments supporting planning applications across Guernsey. Our chartered professionals understand that the island has its own planning system and deliver reports built to suit it.
Air Quality Specialists for Guernsey
Guernsey is a Crown Dependency, not part of the United Kingdom, and it runs its own planning system. Applications are decided by the Development and Planning Authority under the Land Planning and Development (Guernsey) Law 2005 and assessed against the Island Development Plan, which was adopted in 2016. The UK framework that drives mainland reports, including DEFRA background maps, Local Air Quality Management, Air Quality Management Areas and the National Planning Policy Framework, does not apply here. A report written for an English council is not the right fit for a Guernsey application.
Because the island has no separate technical methodology of its own, the Development and Planning Authority expects assessments grounded in recognised professional best practice. We apply the IAQM and EPUK approach for air quality and construction dust, the EMAQ+ method for kitchen and commercial odour, and BS 5228 for construction effects, then compare the results to the limit values used for the pollutants Guernsey monitors and to World Health Organization guidelines. The methods are robust and familiar; the framing is tailored to the Island Development Plan and to the concerns of the island's pollution regulator.
We work with Guernsey architects, developers and planning consultants, using the island's own monitoring data as the baseline and writing clearly to the Island Development Plan's amenity and environmental policies. Our Chartered Environmentalists deliver authoritative reports that help your application progress without avoidable delay. We also provide noise and lighting assessments where a scheme needs them.
Our Services in Guernsey
The full range of environmental assessment services for planning applications across the island, each framed to the Guernsey planning system rather than UK policy.
Air Quality Assessment for Planning
Screening and detailed air quality assessments for residential, commercial and mixed-use schemes. We follow IAQM guidance, build the baseline from the island monitoring network rather than UK background maps, and present the findings against the Island Development Plan's amenity and environmental policies.
Construction Dust Assessment & Management Plan
Dust risk assessments and construction management plans following the IAQM construction dust methodology and BS 5228. We set out proportionate mitigation and monitoring for demolition, earthworks and construction phases, addressing the nuisance concerns of the island's pollution regulator.
Kitchen & Commercial Odour Assessment
Odour risk assessments for restaurants, takeaways, cafes and commercial kitchens following the EMAQ+ method. We assess the odour risk to nearby sensitive uses and advise on extraction and filtration, supporting hospitality and mixed-use applications across St Peter Port and the parishes.
Dispersion Modelling & Baseline Monitoring
Detailed dispersion modelling for traffic and combustion sources, and short-term baseline monitoring where local data is needed for a specific site. We design any island monitoring around the ferry and air links to keep the programme efficient and the costs proportionate.
What Makes a Guernsey Assessment Different
Guernsey has its own law, its own development plan, its own pollution regulator and its own monitoring. These are the points that shape a sound assessment on the island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an air quality assessment for a planning application in Guernsey?
Many development proposals in Guernsey require some form of air quality, dust or odour assessment. Guernsey is a Crown Dependency with its own planning system, and applications are decided by the Development and Planning Authority against the Island Development Plan under the Land Planning and Development (Guernsey) Law 2005. If your scheme places new homes or other sensitive uses near busy roads in St Peter Port, generates significant traffic, includes a commercial kitchen, or involves demolition and earthworks, the effects on amenity and air quality will usually need to be assessed. We can review your proposal and advise whether an assessment is required.
Which air quality standards and methods apply in Guernsey?
Guernsey sits outside the UK statutory framework, so there are no DEFRA background maps, no Local Air Quality Management regime and no Air Quality Management Areas. Because the island has no separate technical methodology, assessments are built on recognised professional guidance: the IAQM and EPUK approach for air quality and construction dust, EMAQ+ for kitchen and commercial odour, and BS 5228 for construction. Results are compared to the limit values used for the pollutants Guernsey monitors, including the 40 micrograms per cubic metre annual mean for nitrogen dioxide and PM10 and the relevant PM2.5 objective, alongside World Health Organization guidelines.
Who regulates dust and odour nuisance in Guernsey?
The Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation, part of the States of Guernsey, deals with nuisance complaints including dust, smell, smoke, noise, light and flies. Air quality monitoring on the island is hosted and maintained by Ricardo-AEA on behalf of the States of Guernsey, covering nitrogen dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, ozone, particulate matter and sulphur dioxide. A well prepared assessment shows the Development and Planning Authority that a scheme will not give rise to the kind of nuisance the regulator would later have to act on.
Can you carry out a Guernsey assessment from the mainland?
Yes. Most of an air quality, dust or odour assessment is desk based, using the island monitoring data, traffic information and the development drawings, so the bulk of the work is carried out from our UK office and delivered to your timescale. Where a site visit or a period of baseline monitoring is required, we arrange this around the ferry and air links to the island and coordinate with your project team to keep travel costs proportionate.
How much does an air quality assessment cost in Guernsey?
Costs depend on the type and complexity of the assessment. As a rough guide, screening assessments start from around £500, detailed air quality assessments with dispersion modelling from around £1,500, and kitchen odour assessments from around £800, with any island travel agreed separately and kept to a minimum. Get in touch for an accurate, no obligation quote tailored to your Guernsey project.