Air Pollution Service's team have been leading the way on the assessment of air pollution impacts upon ecological habitats. Our team has over 50 years of experience dealing with pollutant and deposition impacts on ecology. This has involved a wide range of industries, including road transport, industrial, agricultural and waste facilities.
APS provide a vast range of services and methods of assessment, and can help developers, local authorities, government bodies, institutions and action groups.
Client-focused services provided:
- Dispersion modelling of air pollutants
- Assessing pollutant impacts on ecological habitats, such as nitrogen, sulphur, ammonia, ozone and acid gases
- Assessing pollutant Impacts on nitrogen nutrient deposition and acid deposition
- Impact source apportionment
- Addressing ecosystem and biodiversity impacts
- Design and undertake bespoke monitoring programmes
- Policy and guidance development
- Expert witness and litigation support
Dr Claire Holman, director of ecological impacts at APS, is the leading expert in the UK on the impacts of air quality on ecological habitats and, as former chair of the IAQM led the institute's working group that produced the guidance document 'A guide to the assessment of air quality impacts on designated nature conservation sites' to complement Natural England and the Environment Agency’s advice.
She has undertaken numerous assessments of the impact of emissions from developments on designated nature conservation sites since the Habitats Directive was transposed into national legislation. She acted for the developer of Steele Cross in Crowborough against Wealden District Council (WDC) at the public inquiry into refusal of planning consent, and has since taken a keen interest in the Council’s litigation related to the impact of road transport emissions on the Ashdown Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC). She also successfully represented a group of developers at the public hearing on the Wealden Local Plan HRA, which the Inspector described as being ‘over precautionary’. The Council subsequently withdraw their local plan.
APS has extensive experience in the assessment of air pollution impacts from industrial, power generation and waste facilities upon ecological habitats. Kieran Laxen and Dr Austin Cogan have developed a tried and tested approach that robustly assesses the impacts, cumulative impacts and in-combination impacts. This approach has lead to many clients obtaining permits from the Environment Agency despite complex ecological situations.
APS staff have also provided technical expertise and quality assurance for the HRAs for the local development plans for Wealden District Council and Eastleigh Borough Council. They were also responsible for the development of the modelling tools used in these assessments, and thus have a firm understanding of how assessments of this type are undertaken.
