+44 1865 259200
Aether was commissioned by Ballymore to undertake an air quality assessment for a proposed energy centre in phase 2 of the development at Royal Wharf in the London borough of Newham. Royal Wharf is a mixed use development and will consist of more than 3,000 homes including townhouses, three and four bed duplexes, two and one bed apartments and suites. In order to discharge pre commencement planning conditions, an assessment was required in order to ensure that the stack heights were enough to prevent any significant impact on residents’ exposure and to ensure compliance with the 1993 Clean Air Act.
The challenge
The Review and Assessment process carried out by the London Borough of Newham has highlighted elevated concentrations of pollution arising from road traffic in congested areas. An Air Quality Management Area has been declared for both the annual mean nitrogen dioxide objective and the daily mean particulate matter (PM10) objective along the main roads in the borough including North Woolwich Road (A1020), which runs along the northern boundary of the site. Therefore it was key that any air pollution arising from the energy centre was not going to substantially impact on local air quality and adversely impact the Council’s air quality action plan.
The solution
The dispersion model AERMOD was used to assess the impact of the energy centre on local air pollutant concentrations. The centre consists of gas fired CHP and large gas fired boilers. Therefore, nitrogen oxides were the main pollutant of concern.
The result
Pollution abatement equipment is being fitted to reduce the nitrogen oxide emissions as far as possible in order to minimise the impact on local residents. For example, the CHP plants will have selective catalytic reducers fitted.
Melanie Hobson
Director
Related case studies
Air quality monitoring
Category: Construction and Property Developers, Air Quality Assessments
Aether was commissioned by Berkeley Homes to undertake an air quality assessment for the proposed installation of gas fired boilers at 250 City Road.
Read case studyResidential Air Quality Assessment, Dartford
Category: Construction and Property Developers, Air Quality Assessments
A case study of the Air Quality Assessments Aether delivers for residential developments, here for a proposed development in Dartford.
Read case studyIndustrial air quality assessment
Category: Construction and Property Developers, Air Quality Assessments
Aether was commissioned by Ballymore to undertake an air quality assessment for a proposed energy centre in phase 2 of the development at Royal Wharf in the London borough of Newham.
Read case studyNews
Latest news
Posted on: 6 October 2025
Aether Experts Contribute to IPCC Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers
In the first week of October Richard Claxton and Sergii Shmarin were in Istanbul, contributing as lead authors to the upcoming IPCC Methodology Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCFs). SLCFs - such as black carbon, and other ozone precursors play a critical role in climate change and air quality. The new methodology report will provide essential guidance for countries to improve their emissions inventories and strengthen climate action.
Read full storyPosted on: 1 September 2025
Six new project wins for the land development services team
Aether has recently expanded its Land Development services and secured six new commissions with one of the UK’s top 14 house builders. These projects span from comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments for large-scale residential developments to focused sustainability, energy, and air quality reports for smaller schemes.
Read full storyPosted on: 1 August 2025
Aether expands land development services
Aether has strengthened its Land Development services with the appointment of Michael Dray as Principal Sustainability Advisor. Michael brings over a decade of experience in sustainability across the built environment, with specialist expertise in low-carbon infrastructure, life-cycle carbon assessment, and Passivhaus consultancy.
Read full storyPosted on: 1 June 2025
2025 Historical NECD, Projections NECD, ESR and LULUCF reviews
The Aether team is supporting reviews of air pollutant and greenhouse gas inventories for several European countries, including under the NECD, ESR, and LULUCF regulations. These reviews ensure accurate emissions data to meet EU targets for 2030. The team is also helping build capacity in countries needing extra support, contributing to cleaner air and better climate policy implementation across Europe.
Read full storyFilter news by category
Aether Blog Air Pollution Air Quality Assessments Barriers to Net Zero Capacity Building Carbon Footprint Climate Equality Climate Finance Data Visualisation Emissions Reporting GHG Infrastructure Inventories Local Government Mitigation MRV National Government Net Zero Policy Recruitment Society Stakeholder Engagement Waste Sector Wider Impacts
Testimonial
