Regional and Local Government
Air Quality Consultants provides a wide range of services tailored to the needs of local authorities in the UK. These include Local Air Quality Management and support with planning applications and guidance.
Local Air Quality Management
AQC is a leading consultancy in the UK dealing with Local Air Quality Management (LAQM). The Company has provided a comprehensive LAQM service to over 30 local authorities throughout the UK over the past 10 years. AQC is particularly well placed to understand the LAQM requirements of local government, having been involved in developing Technical Guidance on behalf of Defra and the Devolved Administrations, and also being responsible for operation of the Review and Assessment Helpdesk.
AQC provides a complete service in relation to Review and Assessment. This includes preparation of Updating and Screening Assessments, Detailed Assessments, Further Assessments and Progress Reports. In addition, AQC assists with advice on monitoring and the Action Planning process. Professional expertise is supported by in-house modelling capabilities using ADMS-Roads and ADMS-5.
AQC also provides a complete service in relation to Air Quality Action Plans and Strategies. This includes preparation of complete Air Quality Action Plans and Strategies, providing assistance with consultation, running workshops and providing advice on all aspects of Action Plans and Strategies. An important aspect of work on action plans is the coordination of meetings between the relevant parties, including joint facilitation of working between transport planners, land use planners, the regulatory authorities and other air quality professionals. AQC's general approach is therefore to recommend the establishment of local working groups (formal or informal) to derive the most appropriate measures. Professional policy expertise is supported by in-house modelling capabilities using ADMS-Roads and ADMS-5, which may be used to quantify the impacts of specific options.
Planning Support
AQC helps local authorities by appraising the air quality sections of planning applications and assisting the development of planning guidance.
Where appropriate, AQC supports local authorities by providing expert witness evidence at Public Inquiries
Air Quality
Air quality is the core of Air Quality Consultants’ activities. The company has led the way in monitoring, modelling, assessment and management
Climate Change
Air Quality Consultants has many years’ experience of working with clients to understand their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions
Odours
Desk-based risk assessments, sniff tests and dispersion modelling are used as appropriate to assess a wide range of odour sources
Dust
Air Quality Consultants has assessed the impacts of dust emissions for over 25 years and regularly measures levels around dusty activities
Ecosystems
Air Quality Consultants has been leading the way in assessing the air quality impacts of ammonia and nitrogen deposition on sensitive ecosystems
Health
Human health is assessed by reference to air quality objectives and limit values, with calculations of numbers of people affected when appropriate