Crematorium Air Quality Assessment
Specialist air quality and emissions consultants for crematorium planning applications and LAPPC permits. PG5/2(12) compliance, mercury abatement modelling, D1 stack height calculations and dispersion modelling — by chartered environmentalists.
Cremation Emissions and the Planning System
Crematoria are technically demanding to permit because they emit a small but distinctive suite of pollutants — mercury (Hg) from dental amalgam, particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide, and trace dioxins and furans — all of which are tightly controlled under Defra's Process Guidance Note PG5/2(12) Statutory Guidance for Crematoria. Beyond planning, every UK crematorium needs a Local Authority Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC) permit issued by the host council, and the technical evidence base for both planning and permit is broadly the same.
The most heavily scrutinised pollutant is mercury. Following the Mercury Burden Sharing Scheme launched in 2012, every new cremator has had to be fitted with mercury abatement — usually activated carbon injection (ACI) into the flue gas captured by a downstream bag filter — capable of delivering at least 50% mercury removal at the abated installation. Older cremators were brought into the scheme on a phased basis. Stack emissions are quantified using the relevant ELVs in PG5/2(12), supported by dispersion modelling against the UK Air Quality Objectives and Environmental Assessment Levels (EALs) at sensitive receptors.
Stack height is derived from a Defra HMIP Technical Guidance Note D1 calculation, considering emission rate, building wake effects and nearby receptors. For a single-cremator facility this typically lands between 10 and 17 m. We supplement the D1 calculation with full ADMS dispersion modelling to demonstrate that long-term and short-term predicted concentrations at residential, school, hospital and ecological receptors are acceptable.
Malcolm Pounder CEnv MIAQM leads our crematorium work. We support new-build applications, replacement cremator installations, capacity uplifts and condition discharge, and we are comfortable liaising with environmental health teams and Defra's permitting officers on your behalf.
Our Crematorium Services
End-to-end planning and permitting support for new and existing crematorium facilities.
Planning AQA & EIA Chapter
Full planning-stage Air Quality Assessment covering operational emissions, dispersion modelling and significance evaluation against IAQM 2017 criteria and PG5/2(12) ELVs. For larger schemes, a full EIA Air Quality chapter integrating cremator emissions, traffic emissions and construction dust.
Mercury Abatement Modelling
Demonstrate compliance with the Defra Mercury Burden Sharing Scheme. We quantify pre-abatement and post-abatement mercury emissions, model the dispersion at sensitive receptors against the EAL (250 ng/m³ annual mean), and document the abatement specification for the LAPPC permit.
D1 Stack Height Calculation
Defra HMIP Technical Guidance Note D1 "guide" and detailed stack height calculations for each regulated pollutant, supplemented by ADMS dispersion modelling to confirm that the proposed stack height is adequate to disperse emissions to acceptable concentrations at the nearest sensitive receptors.
LAPPC Permit Application Support
Technical input to the Local Authority Pollution Prevention and Control permit application: emissions inventory, abatement specification, monitoring plan, ELV compliance demonstration, and stack/process design narrative. We work alongside your operations team and council permitting officers.
Common Crematorium Project Types
We work with local authority bereavement services, private crematoria operators, funeral directors, and the manufacturers of cremation equipment. Most projects fall into one of the categories opposite.
Whether you are building a brand-new facility, replacing an old cremator with a modern abated unit, or seeking capacity uplift on an existing permit, we have the technical depth to deliver.
- New-build crematorium applications
- Replacement cremator installations
- Mercury abatement upgrades
- Cremator capacity uplifts
- LAPPC permit variations
- Stack height re-assessments
- Condition discharge submissions
- Existing site noise/odour complaints
Frequently Asked Questions
Do crematoria need an air quality assessment?
Yes. Crematoria are emitters of mercury (from dental amalgam), particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, dioxins and furans, and almost always require an air quality assessment to support the planning application. They also require a Local Authority Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC) permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, which is governed by Defra Process Guidance Note PG5/2(12). The planning AQA and the LAPPC application are complementary and we usually do both.
What is PG5/2(12)?
PG5/2(12) is Defra's Process Guidance Note for the cremation of human remains, published in 2012 and updated periodically. It sets out the emission limit values (ELVs), monitoring requirements, operational controls and infrastructure standards that crematoria must meet to obtain and maintain their LAPPC permit. Key requirements include automatic process control, secondary combustion chamber temperature and residence time, particulate ELVs, CO and NOx limits, and the mercury abatement obligations introduced in 2012.
What are the mercury abatement requirements?
Following the Defra/DERA Mercury Burden Sharing Scheme, all new crematorium cremators in the UK have, since 2012, been required to operate with mercury abatement plant — typically an activated carbon injection (ACI) system into the flue gas, captured by a downstream bag filter — sized to achieve at least 50% removal of mercury at the abated installation. Existing cremators were brought under the scheme on a phased basis. Mercury is the most heavily regulated pollutant from crematoria because of historic concerns over dental amalgam emissions.
How is stack height determined for a crematorium?
Stack height is determined by D1 calculation (the procedure in HMIP Technical Guidance Note D1 "Guidelines on Discharge Stack Heights for Polluting Emissions") for each of the regulated pollutants (NOx, PM, CO, dioxins/furans, Hg). The "guide" or detailed D1 procedure considers emission rate, building wake effects, terrain and nearby sensitive receptors. For a crematorium this typically results in a stack height of 10–17 m above ground level depending on the cremator capacity, fuel and surroundings. We carry out the D1 calculation and supplement it with ADMS dispersion modelling to demonstrate compliance.
How long does a crematorium air quality assessment take and what does it cost?
Timescales vary with project complexity — a typical single-cremator new-build AQA with ADMS dispersion modelling and a D1 stack height calculation takes 4–6 weeks. Multi-cremator facilities, sites near sensitive receptors, or AQAs that need to be packaged with an LAPPC application take longer. Costs are fixed-fee and we provide a clear quote up front. Call us and tell us about your scheme — we will give you a same-working-day estimate.