Rules say new buildings in London must improve air quality

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced what he called “pioneering” rules to ensure that major new developments in the city go beyond compliance and make a clear contribution to improving air quality.

Guidelines also mean that wood burners will effectively no longer be allowed in new and refurbished homes.

The Air Quality Positive (AQP) guidance requires planners of large-scale developments to consider their impact on air quality from the earliest design stages. This includes large housing developments, commercial properties and transport hubs.

Instead of designing the development and then assessing and mitigating any increases to local air pollution, developers, architects, planners and air quality experts are “expected to consider air quality at every design stage”.

They must submit an AQP statement that demonstrates how benefits to local air quality have been maximised, and how measures to minimise pollution exposure will be implemented.

Developers will need to consider building design, emissions and transport. They are also encouraged to use innovative approaches and solutions.

Measures could include using building form such as angles and stepped facades to improve dispersion of pollution, incorporating features to encourage car-free travel, and installing clean heating and energy systems.

‘Toxic air’

The Mayor also announced new Air Quality Neutral (AQN) guidance which applies to all new developments in London and stipulates that they must not contribute to air pollution beyond specified benchmarks.

The benchmarks mean that new and refurbished properties cannot use wood or other solid fuels for heating.

Buildings are responsible for nearly 80 percent of London’s carbon emissions and are significant sources of other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter.

Khan said: “Toxic air is a matter of life and death, causing around 4,000 premature deaths every year in London, and leading to asthma in the young and dementia in the elderly. I have made it a top priority as Mayor to tackle London’s air pollution and the climate crisis.

“Now developers will have to put air quality and carbon emissions at the heart of their projects from the very beginning and build their developments more sustainably.”

Wembley Park Gardens, a new Transport for London (TfL) development with Barratt London, has already adopted the guidance. It has been designed to reduce reliance on car travel and features solar panels, an electric heating system with air source heat pumps, cycle storage for residents and electric vehicle charging. Green and biodiverse roofs, new trees and hedges, and wildlife-friendly landscaping have also been incorporated.

In January, Khan said London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be expanded to cover the entire city. A £12.50 (US$15) daily charge will be levied on the most polluting vehicles throughout the 32 boroughs.