Odour Impact Assessment

Required where a new development is classed as agricultural or industrial use with potential to emit odours. This could include, for example:

  • intensive farming of poultry or pigs;
  • waste management;
  • anaerobic digestion;
  • pet food manufacture;
  • rendering plants.

The development is a food establishment likely to emit odours, for example hot food takeaways, pubs and restaurants, commercial kitchens and food manufacture.

Specifically a report will be required:

  1. Where the odour generating activities are proposed in the vicinity of existing odour-sensitive developments e.g. residential, schools and hospitals;
  2. Where mixed use applications comprise both odour generating and odour sensitive uses;
  3. Where odour sensitive uses are proposed in the vicinity of existing odour-generating uses e.g. industrial/commercial, intensive farms, sewage treatment works etc.;
  4. Where use classes A3, A4, A5 and B2 are proposed.

Guidance

An Odour Impact Assessment must be proportionate to the proposal. It may include the following:

  1. a full quantitative assessment,
  2. basic qualitative odour impact assessment, and
  3. identification  of sources, pathways and receivers.

A supporting Odour Management Plan, the scale of which will depend on risks, must incorporate a description of the odour sources and details of monitoring, evaluation and mitigation methods.

For residential development the assessment should incorporate details of good design which have been used to address odour impacts from existing odorous uses in the vicinity. 

Pre-application advice should be sought from the Environmental Health Team in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the consultation process after the application has been validated.


Useful Links and Guidance

Additional Odour Guidance for Local Authorities