Medway Developer Contributions and Obligations Guide

7 Air quality

7.1 Background

7.1.1 Poor air quality affects human health and the environment. Developments have the potential to affect local air quality significantly, through the location and design of receptor locations and through an associated increase in emissions. Comment

7.1.2 All new developments shall have due regard to the Medway Air Quality Planning Guidance. This guidance applies to all new full or outline planning applications submitted after April 2016 and not to reserved matters applications where outline approval was consented before the adoption of the Air Quality Planning Guidance. The guidance has been developed in conjunction with the other Kent local authorities to improve air quality across the region and encourage emissions reductions to improve the environment and health of the population. The document aims to provide developers with clear information as to what the council requires and provide consistency in how the council will approach planning applications in terms of air quality. The damage costs approach set out in the document seeks to minimise the emissions impact of developments wherever practicable to sustainable levels, by securing reasonable emission mitigation while also seeking to counter the cumulative impacts arising from all developments. Comment

7.2 Policy / Evidence Base

Air Quality Planning Guidance April 2016 (Medway Council) Comment

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Comment

Air Quality Action Plans and Annual Status Reports Comment