30. Odour Impact Assessment
What is it?
Policy ENV1 of the Plan Strategy states that planning permission will be granted for development that will maintain and, where possible, enhance environmental quality, and protects communities from materially harmful development. Development must not result in an unacceptable adverse impact on the environment, including air quality.
An Odour Impact Assessment assesses the impact of odour generating uses on sensitive receptors; or the impact of existing nearby odour generating uses on proposed uses which are sensitive by nature.
Where necessary and appropriate, the assessment should include measures to mitigate odour impacts. These shall include details of proposed odour abatement system controls and demonstrate that the proposed controls are fit for purpose.
When is it required?
An Odour Impact Assessment should be provided with applications for:
- proposals for use/s which generate odour and have the potential to impact on the amenity of nearby sensitive receptors. Examples of odour generating uses include commercial kitchens, industrial processes, breweries/distilleries, waste transfer stations, sewage treatment/pumping stations;
- proposals for sensitive uses which have the potential to be impacted by existing odour generating uses in the locality. Examples of sensitive uses include new housing proposals, hospitals, schools, cultural and recreational facilities, offices, retail and industrial premises, hotels and tourist accommodation.
What should be included?
An Odour Impact Assessment should be carried out by competent person/s and in line with current best practice and guidance. Applicants are referred to guidance provided by the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM): Guidance on the Assessment of Odour for Planning and to the Environment Agency Additional guidance for H4 Odour Management - How to comply with your environmental permit (link opens in new window).
Details of an odour abatement system should include:
- scale floor plans and elevations showing the positioning and design of ventilation, flue/s and extraction equipment including termination points;
- manufacturers details of the equipment proposed including odour abatement techniques; and
- assessment of certain processes may require odour dispersion modelling to predict impact at sensitive receptors.
Guidance
Further guidance is contained in the Council’s Sensitive Uses Supplementary Planning Guidance and Evening and Night-time Economy Supplementary Planning Guidance.
Other relevant guidance includes:
Environment Agency Additional guidance for H4 Odour Management - How to comply with your environmental permit.
British Water Code of Practice Flows and Loads – 4 Sizing Criteria, Treatment Capacity for Sewage Treatment Systems
UKWIR Odour Control in Wastewater Treatment – A Technical Reference Document.
CIWEM Policy Position Statement - Control of Odour.
NIW Development Encroachment - Odour Assessment
Useful guidance concerning managing odour from commercial kitchens is provided by Ricardo EMAQ+ - Control of odour and noise from commercial kitchen exhaust systems, Update to the 2004 Report Prepared by NETCEN for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) (2nd EMAQ edition) (6th May 2022),
https://emaq.ricardo.com/course/view.php?id=231
