A new digital air pollution assessment tool has been launched as a pilot in Northern Ireland, underlining the current inconsistency faced by poultry and livestock planning applicants across the UK.

The service, called Get an air pollution assessment, was known during development as the UK Air Pollution Assessment Service, or UK APAS. It is intended to provide a more consistent and streamlined way of assessing air quality impacts from proposed developments, including agricultural livestock buildings.

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The tool has been introduced first in Northern Ireland, where it will be used to help assess emissions such as ammonia and nitrogen oxides, and their potential impact on protected habitats.

Air quality assessments have become an increasingly important part of planning and permitting applications. At present, systems used across the UK are described as standalone, complex and inconsistent, with different modelling tools in use and relevant information held by multiple organisations.

The new service is intended to address that by bringing together air dispersion modelling, habitat data and emissions information in one digital platform. Applicants and consultants will be able to estimate emissions from proposed developments, visualise how pollutants disperse, and assess likely deposition on protected sites.

Good air quality ‘vital’

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir said Northern Ireland had been chosen as the first region to introduce the service.

“Good air quality is vital for both our health and our environment, hence the importance of finding and implementing new techniques or approaches to improve air quality,” he said.

“This digital tool will help us protect the natural environment, reduce planning delays, cut costs for planning applicants and their consultants, as well as provide a detailed analysis of the potential impact proposed developments would have on air quality.”

Provide evidence

Mr Muir said the system would provide evidence for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and planning authorities when considering applications such as large strategic road schemes and agricultural livestock buildings.

He said applicants could also use the free system as a design tool to assess mitigation measures aimed at reducing emissions, including ammonia and nitrogen oxides.

The project has been jointly funded by DAERA through the Carrier Bag Levy, Defra and other UK environment agencies. It has been led by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the public body that advises the UK Government and devolved administrations on UK-wide and international nature conservation.

JNCC said the system is based on a similar Dutch government air pollution assessment model.

Focus on protected sites

Steve Wilkinson, JNCC director of ecosystem evidence and advice, said the tool would, for the first time, allow emission footprints from multiple projects to be brought together automatically where they could act in combination to affect the environment.

“Whilst the initial focus of the project is on protected sites, there is potential to expand the tool to assess air quality impacts from plans and projects on human health,” he added.

“However, work still needs to be done by the technical experts on this aspect of the service.”

High concentrations

JNCC said Northern Ireland had been selected for the initial implementation because ambient ammonia concentrations and nitrogen deposition rates are above levels that can damage sensitive habitats at almost all designated sites in the region.

The service has been developed following consultation with stakeholders, including the agricultural industry, planning consultants and planning authorities. NIEA has also been running training seminars, with positive feedback reported so far.

The tool is expected to reduce costs for applicants, improve the efficiency of planning and permitting processes, support more transparent decision-making and help developers identify mitigation measures earlier in the process.

The service is available in Northern Ireland through DAERA.