Planners approve expansion of air quality monitoring equipment

THE Environment Agency has been granted planning permission to install new air quality monitoring equipment on a road in Latchford as part of an expansion of the existing network.

Bureau Veritas, on behalf of the Environment Agency, was seeking planning permission from Warrington Borough Council for the proposed installation of an air quality monitoring station on land adjacent to 100 Hensall Avenue, Warrington.

The proposed installation is part of proposals to enhance National Air Quality Monitoring expansion in England with the Environment Agency and Defra Air Quality and Industrial Emissions Dept. seeking to increase their evidence base for PM2.5 , (which are particles with an aerodynamic diameter of a size less than. 2.5 micrometres).

Bureau Veritas have been commissioned to deliver an expansion of their existing PM2.5 monitoring network during the next few months.
This will require an enhancement of the network to provide additional data from 2023 onwards.

The location of these analysers in key locations in England, will be where existing data coverage can be improved and is vital to their National monitoring evidence base and will be a long-term investment. In a letter of support for the application, they are seeking the time and support required to help facilitate the feasibility and
establishment of new monitor locations for PM2.5.

In a letter of support, the Environment Agency stated: “If you are approached by Bureau Veritas, please assist them in with facilitating information, site access, planning permissions, leases and electrical connections and
any other queries, to enable them to meet the challenging timescales for analyser deployment at new sites.
“The establishment of new sites is funded within a certain budget, and we ask for your partnership to achieve our goals of enhanced PM2.5 monitoring.”

Planning officers have now approved the planning application under permitted development and delegated powers.