Get an Air Pollution Assessment Service Launches in Northern Ireland

The UK Government has officially launched ‘Get an Air Pollution Assessment Service‘, known as the UK APAS, in Northern Ireland, a significant development for Ecological Air Quality Assessment within the planning and permitting sectors. The online platform has been developed collaboratively by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the UK Country Nature Conservation Bodies, regulators and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to support risk assessments of air pollution impacts on designated ecological sites. Our very own Pearl Hutchinson was also part of the support team involved in the testing an feedback process.

The service has been designed to streamline Ecological Air Quality Assessments by combining screening, detailed modelling and reporting functionality within a single digital workflow. The system enables users to assess the impacts of nitrogen oxides, ammonia and nitrogen deposition on sensitive habitats including Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

What Does the UK Air Pollution Assessment Service Do?

The platform has evolved from the earlier UK AERIUS project and is now publicly available through GOV.UK under the name ‘Get an air pollution assessment’. Although currently limited to Northern Ireland planning and permitting submissions, the wider industry can access the service to understand how Ecological Air Quality Assessments will be undertaken in the future once rolled out across England, Scotland and Wales.

Unlike traditional workflows that often require separate screening tools and detailed dispersion modelling software, the new service integrates both stages into one system. The platform uses the Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling System (ADMS), alongside meteorological data, emissions inventories, pollution datasets and ecological site sensitivity information to calculate predicted impacts.

The service can assess a wide range of sources including ammonia from agricultural operations, combustion plant, industrial processes and road traffic emissions. Users can undertake scenario testing during project development before completing a formal assessment suitable for planning applications or environmental permit submissions.

Key Features

Key features of the service include:

• Integrated screening and detailed modelling functionality
• Built-in PDF reporting for planning and permitting submissions
• Customisable zones of influence and custom assessment points
• Up to date emissions inventories and meteorological datasets
• Mapping layers including detailed OSNI basemaps
• Integrated guidance materials and training videos
• Dedicated regulator archive for in-combination assessments

The service also includes functionality for regulators to review submitted assessments and upload projects into an in-combination archive. This archive is intended to support in-combination assessments and improve transparency within the decision-making process.

Benefits for the Industry

The launch represents a notable shift towards greater standardisation and digitalisation of Ecological Air Quality Assessments across the UK. For consultants, developers and planning authorities, the service has the potential to improve consistency between assessments while reducing the time associated with traditional modelling workflows.

By integrating emissions calculations, dispersion modelling and ecological risk assessment into one platform, the tool may also help reduce discrepancies between consultant methodologies and regulatory expectations. The inclusion of predefined datasets and standardised assumptions is likely to support greater consistency in technical submissions.

Northern Ireland Rollout

At present, the service is only available for formal planning and permitting submissions in Northern Ireland as part of a pilot phase. This will be evaluated before any decision is made on wider rollout across England, Scotland and Wales. However, the release already provides useful insight into the future direction of Ecological Air Quality Assessments for planning applications and environmental permitting submissions in the UK.

Industry Outlook

As regulatory focus on nitrogen deposition and ecological impacts continues to grow, digital tools such as the UK APAS are expected to become increasingly important within planning and environmental permitting. The introduction of a nationally coordinated assessment platform could significantly influence how Ecological Air Quality Assessments are undertaken and reviewed in the coming years.

How can we help?

At Redmore Environmental we have extensive experience delivering Ecological Air Quality Assessments for planning applications and environmental permitting projects across the UK, including work undertaken in Northern Ireland. Our team assesses impacts on sensitive ecological sites such as SACs, SPAs, SSSIs and ASSIs, supporting a wide range of agricultural residential, commercial, industrial and energy developments.

With the launch of the UK APAS, we are well placed to undertake assessments using the new platform, drawing upon our existing ecological air quality expertise and understanding of Northern Ireland regulatory requirements. We can support clients throughout the process, from early feasibility and constraint reviews through to modelling, reporting and regulator engagement, helping ensure projects are supported by robust and compliant technical assessments.

To discuss your project or learn more about how we can assist with ammonia assessments or related air quality issues, contact one of our specialist Air Quality Consultants today.