Air Quality Assessments Alkali Environmental 2 Air Quality Assessments — London, Manchester & Leeds (UK‑Wide) | 2023–2025 Compliance Updates & Key Research with Alkali Environmental

Air Quality Consultants — London, Manchester & Leeds (UK‑Wide) | 2023–2025 Compliance Updates & Key Research

Planning expectations have tightened again. Alkali Environmental Consultants provides UKAS & MCERTS‑accredited air quality assessments, monitoring, and reporting across the UK — aligned to LAQM templates, England’s PM₂.₅ legal targets, and the latest IAQM methods — so your planning applications land first time. Local Air Quality Management+2Legislation.gov.uk+2

Why it matters — the latest evidence

Lives at stake, every week: UK doctors estimate ~30,000 deaths a year linked to air pollution, costing tens of billions; RCP’s 2025 briefing puts the annual toll at ~30,000 and warns the burden hits nearly every organ system. rcp.ac.uk
No safe level narrative: WHO (2021) cut guideline levels to PM₂.₅: 5 µg/m³ and NO₂: 10 µg/m³, reflecting harm even at low concentrations. World Health Organization
Risk rises with small increases: UK’s advisory committee COMEAP (2021/22) recommends a 1.08 relative risk per +10 µg/m³ PM₂.₅ (≈8% higher mortality risk), with no cut‑off assumed. GOV.UK
Dieselgate legacy: A 2025 analysis estimates 16,000 premature UK deaths and 30,000 childhood asthma cases from illegal diesel defeat‑device emissions; 124,000 early deaths across the EU/UK so far. CRECA

Bottom line: Air quality is now a board‑level risk — for health, legal exposure and programme delay.

Compliance updates you can’t ignore (2023–2025)

England’s PM₂.₅ targets are law: Annual mean ≤10 µg/m³ by 2040 and 35% population‑exposure reduction by 2040 (vs 2018). DEFRA has released planning guidance to help applicants demonstrate consideration of these targets. Legislation.gov.uk+1
LAQM expectations shape planning reviews: Officers appraise reports against LAQM policy/technical notes and templates — align your methods and structure to reduce queries. Local Air Quality Management
Construction dust — IAQM 2024: Updated methodology tightens risk screening and mitigation, raising the bar for CEMPs and (where warranted) live monitoring. IAQM
Low‑cost sensors — IAQM 2025 position: Clarifies limits of PM₁₀ LCS at sites with short‑term dust spikes; be explicit when reference‑grade equipment is required. IAQM
Industry & CEMS — EA M20 refreshed: 2025 update on EN 14181 QA/QC (QAL1‑3, AST) — check certification ranges, responsibilities and audit evidence. GOV.UK
EU direction of travel (context): The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive entered into force with 2030 limits PM₂.₅ = 10, NO₂ = 20 µg/m³ — not UK law, but a clear benchmark for best practice. Environment
Latest UK monitoring overview: DEFRA’s Air Pollution in the UK 2024 (published Sept 30, 2025) summarises measured/modelled concentrations — helpful for baselines and context in reports. GOV.UK

When you need air quality services (timing & triggers)

Planning & design: Screening/assessments for residential, commercial, industrial and mixed‑use schemes — earlier commissioning reduces re‑submissions. (Align format to LAQM.) Local Air Quality Management
Before construction: Baseline monitoring and IAQM‑compliant dust risk assessments to inform the CEMP and proportionate controls. IAQM
During construction: Deploy monitoring where risk warrants it — especially during dry, windy periods when dust peaks; follow the IAQM 2024 methodology and 2025 LCS position. IAQM+1
Industrial operations: Stack testing and CEMS QA for permit compliance (M20/EN 14181) — many operators schedule in spring/autumn to align with reporting cycles. GOV.UK
Post‑completion: Validation monitoring to evidence that mitigation achieves the conditions set by planning.

What we deliver

Air Quality Impact Assessments for planning applications (traffic, combustion, sensitive receptors, mitigation).
Dispersion Modelling (ADMS) and on‑site monitoring for robust baselines and mitigation design.
Construction Dust Assessments to IAQM (2024) with auditable control plans and (where needed) reference‑grade monitors, per 2025 IAQM LCS guidance. IAQM+1
Industrial & Waste Support: Stack emissions testing coordination and CEMS QA under EA M20 / EN 14181. GOV.UK
Mitigation Strategies mapped to local policy and the PM₂.₅ targets to de‑risk conditions. Legislation.gov.uk

Compliance‑safe accreditation statement

Alkali Environmental Consultants is a UKAS & MCERTS‑accredited laboratory (No. 24303). Monitoring and reporting are carried out to MCERTS performance standards by qualified consultants and MCERTS‑certified personnel, ensuring full traceability and compliance with Environment Agency requirements.

Who we help & where we work

We support developers, architects, planners, local authorities, industrial operators, and infrastructure/energy projects needing clear, compliant air‑quality evidence — in London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Newcastle, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, and every major UK city.

About Alkali Environmental Consultants

Alkali Environmental Consultants is a UK leader in air emissions and environmental compliance support. We are a UKAS & MCERTS‑accredited laboratory (No. 24303) specialising in air quality and stack emissions testing, with services spanning the full spectrum of environmental compliance and permitting. From power stations to construction sites, we help organisations across the UK, Ireland, and internationally stay compliant, avoid costly delays, and meet strict Environment Agency requirements. Our consultants include former EA officers, nuclear environmental engineers, and experienced emissions specialists — combining technical accuracy with insider regulatory insight. Clients gain a trusted partner who simplifies regulation, removes compliance uncertainty, and keeps projects moving with confidence.

FAQ

When should I book an air quality assessment?
At RIBA Stage 2–3 (or earliest feasible point) to align with LAQM expectations and avoid planning delays. Local Air Quality Management

Do I need dust monitoring on site?
Where IAQM 2024 risk screening indicates medium/high risk; select methods consistent with the 2025 IAQM LCS position. IAQM+1

What’s the legal context right now?
England’s PM₂.₅ targets apply nationally; EA M20 governs CEMS QA; EU’s 2030 limits provide a directional benchmark for best practice. Legislation.gov.uk+2GOV.UK+2

Click Here to Book Your Free Consultation

Need an air quality report that lands first time? Book Your Free Consultation →— we’ll scope your scheme in London, Manchester, Leeds or anywhere in the UK, and deliver methods matched to what planning officers use to review (LAQM, IAQM, EA). Local Air Quality Management