Planning and development control

CERC carries out air quality assessments to support planning applications for infrastructure, residential and commercial projects.  The model used depends on the source types under consideration; as the developers of ADMS, ADMS-Roads and ADMS-Urban, we have unrivalled expertise in the application of these models.

CERC's clients include local authorities, property developers, planning experts and other consultants.

We tackle a wide range of assessments, from a single boiler flue to a major traffic scheme. We have particular experience of modelling biomass and CHP plant which, in urban areas, can require the consideration of cumulative impacts, such as those due to road traffic.

We present model outputs for straightforward comparison against standards, with concentration maps showing how impacts vary across the surrounding area. For changes to traffic flow on a road network, we calculate impacts both with and without the proposed scheme, clearly demonstrating the impact of the proposed development.

We take into account national and local authority planning guidance and assess the significance of impacts using Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) guidelines.

We also carry out modelling to investigate other planning issues, such as odour, visible plumes and impacts on sensitive ecosystems.

Our section on industrial permitting and planning may also be of interest.