Environmental Assessments in Jersey
Air quality, dust and odour assessments supporting planning applications across Jersey. Our chartered professionals understand that the island has its own planning system and deliver reports built to suit it.
Air Quality Specialists for Jersey
Jersey is a Crown Dependency, not part of the United Kingdom, and it runs its own planning system. Applications are decided under the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 and assessed against the Bridging Island Plan. 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 Jersey application.
Because the island has no separate technical methodology of its own, the Government of Jersey and its planning officers expect 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 Jersey monitors against and to World Health Organization guidelines. The methods are robust and familiar to officers; the framing is tailored to the Island Plan.
We work with Jersey architects, developers and planning consultants, using the island's own monitoring data as the baseline and writing clearly to the Island Plan's amenity and environmental protection 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 Jersey
The full range of environmental assessment services for planning applications across the island, each framed to the Jersey 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 Government of Jersey monitoring network rather than UK background maps, and present the findings against the Island Plan's amenity and pollution 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, suitable for discharge of Jersey planning conditions.
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 Helier 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 Jersey Assessment Different
Jersey has its own laws, its own development plan 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 Jersey?
Many development proposals in Jersey require some form of air quality or dust assessment. Jersey is a Crown Dependency with its own planning system, and applications are determined against the Bridging Island Plan under the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002. If your scheme introduces new homes or other sensitive uses near busy roads in St Helier, generates significant traffic, includes a commercial kitchen, or involves demolition and earthworks, the Government of Jersey will usually expect the air quality, dust or odour effects to be assessed. We can review your proposal and advise whether an assessment is needed before you commit.
Which air quality standards and methods apply in Jersey?
Jersey 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 Jersey monitors against, 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.
Do you use Jersey's own air quality monitoring data?
Yes. The Government of Jersey has monitored island air quality since 1997. Nitrogen dioxide is measured by an automatic monitor near the Central Market in St Helier and by passive diffusion tubes at more than twenty locations, while PM10 and PM2.5 are measured at Central Market and Howard Davis Park. We use this local data, published in the annual Air Quality in Jersey reports, to establish the baseline rather than relying on UK mainland background maps, which do not cover the island.
Can you carry out a Jersey assessment from the mainland?
Yes. Most of an air quality, dust or odour assessment is desk based, using Jersey 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 Jersey?
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 Jersey project.