AQDMP Guide
Air Quality Dust Management, Assessment and Mitigation for London Construction Projects
An Air Quality Dust Management Plan (AQDMP) sets out how construction-related dust and particulate impacts will be assessed, controlled and managed during the works. It may be required to discharge a planning condition or to demonstrate appropriate construction-phase environmental controls.
Seneca Services prepares project-specific AQDMPs for architects, planning consultants, developers and contractors, including where a Principal Contractor has not yet been appointed and detailed construction information is still being developed.
What is an Air Quality Dust Management Plan (AQDMP)?
An Air Quality Dust Management Plan sets out the measures that will be used to assess and manage potential dust and particulate impacts associated with demolition, earthworks and construction activities. The level of detail should be proportionate to the scale and nature of the works, the surrounding environment and the sensitivity of nearby receptors.
An AQDMP may include a construction dust risk assessment, site-specific mitigation measures, management responsibilities, inspection and monitoring arrangements, record keeping and procedures for responding to dust-related complaints or changing site conditions.
When is an AQDMP Required?
An AQDMP may be required to discharge a planning condition, support a construction environmental management submission or demonstrate how dust and particulate impacts will be controlled during demolition and construction. The requirement will depend on the scale and nature of the works, the sensitivity of nearby receptors and the requirements of the relevant planning authority.
Projects involving demolition, excavation, earthworks, material handling, vehicle movements or other potentially dust-generating activities may require a more detailed assessment and mitigation strategy. The level of detail should reflect the project-specific dust risk rather than applying a generic approach.
Construction Dust Risk Assessment
A construction dust risk assessment considers the potential for dust emissions from demolition, earthworks and construction activities together with the sensitivity and proximity of surrounding receptors. The assessment should reflect the project-specific works rather than relying on a generic dust-control approach.
The findings of the assessment are used to determine the appropriate level of mitigation, management and monitoring required for the project. Higher-risk activities or particularly sensitive locations may require more detailed controls and closer inspection or monitoring during the works.
What Should an AQDMP Cover?
The content of an AQDMP should be proportionate to the project, the identified dust risk and the requirements of the relevant planning authority. Depending on the nature and scale of the works, it may address:
• site and project information
• demolition, earthworks and construction activities
• sensitive receptors and surrounding land uses
• construction dust risk assessment
• site-management responsibilities
• dust-control and suppression measures
• vehicle, road and wheel-cleanliness measures
• storage and handling of materials
• inspection and monitoring arrangements where required
• record keeping and complaints procedures
• corrective actions where site conditions or dust risks change
Construction Dust Mitigation Measures
Dust-control measures should be proportionate to the identified risk and the activities being undertaken. Depending on the project, controls may include suppression, dampening, enclosure, careful material handling, road and wheel cleaning, covering of loads, appropriate storage and good site housekeeping.
The AQDMP should explain how these measures will be implemented, inspected and maintained during the works so that dust emissions are minimised and any changing site conditions can be addressed promptly.
Construction Dust Monitoring
Dust monitoring may be required where the planning condition, project risk or sensitivity of nearby receptors justifies additional verification during the works. The type and extent of monitoring should be proportionate to the project and should complement, rather than replace, effective site-management and mitigation measures.
Where monitoring is required, the AQDMP should define the proposed approach, responsibilities, reporting arrangements and the actions to be taken if dust levels or site conditions indicate that additional controls are necessary.
Preparing an AQDMP Before a Principal Contractor is Appointed
An AQDMP can often be prepared before the Principal Contractor has been appointed. At this stage, the document can be based on the available design information, programme, anticipated construction methodology and reasonable project assumptions.
Where contractor-specific details are not yet available, these should be identified clearly within the AQDMP so that they can be confirmed and, where necessary, updated once the contractor is appointed.
Contractor Coordination and Finalisation
Once a Principal Contractor is appointed, the AQDMP can be reviewed against the contractor’s confirmed methodology, programme, site setup and environmental-management arrangements.
Where necessary, assumptions can then be replaced with project-specific information and the document updated before final submission or implementation so that the proposed dust-control measures reflect the works that will actually be undertaken.
Relationship with a SEMP or Construction Management Plan
An AQDMP may be prepared as a standalone document or coordinated with a wider Site Environmental Management Plan, Construction Management Plan or other construction-planning documentation, depending on the planning condition and local-authority requirements.
Where related documents are required, the AQDMP should clearly set out the dust-specific assessment, mitigation and monitoring measures while cross-referencing wider site-management, logistics, noise and environmental controls where appropriate.
Information Needed to Prepare an AQDMP
The information required will depend on the project and the planning or local-authority requirements. Typical inputs may include:
• planning condition or local-authority requirement
• site location and relevant drawings
• demolition and construction scope
• programme and anticipated sequencing
• site logistics and access information
• proposed construction methodology
• details of nearby sensitive receptors
• available contractor information
• any existing environmental or construction-management documentation
Where some contractor information is not yet available, the AQDMP can still be prepared on an assumption-led basis, provided that the assumptions and outstanding project-specific details are clearly identified for later confirmation.
How Seneca Services Can Help
Seneca Services prepares concise, project-specific Air Quality Dust Management Plans to support planning applications, planning-condition discharge and construction-phase environmental compliance.
We can prepare an AQDMP at an early project stage using the available design and programme information, coordinate the document with related construction-management and environmental documentation, and update project-specific details once contractor information becomes available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an AQDMP and a Dust Management Plan?
The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but an AQDMP will normally provide a more structured assessment of construction dust and air-quality impacts together with the site-specific mitigation, management and monitoring measures required for the project.
Can an AQDMP be prepared before the Principal Contractor is appointed?
Yes. An AQDMP can be prepared using the available design information, programme and anticipated construction methodology, with reasonable assumptions made where contractor-specific information is not yet available. Those assumptions can then be confirmed and updated once the Principal Contractor is appointed.
Does an AQDMP include a construction dust assessment?
Yes. An AQDMP will typically include or be informed by a construction dust risk assessment that considers the likely dust-generating activities, the sensitivity and proximity of surrounding receptors and the level of mitigation and monitoring appropriate to the project.
Is dust monitoring always required?
No. Dust monitoring should be proportionate to the project risk, the sensitivity of nearby receptors and any planning or local-authority requirements. Some projects may only require inspection and management controls, while higher-risk or more sensitive sites may justify additional monitoring.
Can an AQDMP form part of a SEMP or Construction Management Plan?
Yes. Depending on the planning condition and local-authority requirements, an AQDMP may be prepared as a standalone document or incorporated into, appended to or coordinated with a wider Site Environmental Management Plan or Construction Management Plan.
Can an AQDMP be updated after planning approval?
Yes. If the construction methodology, programme, site setup or dust-control measures change materially, the AQDMP can be reviewed and updated so that it continues to reflect the arrangements being implemented on site. Where the AQDMP has been approved through a planning condition, any material revision should be considered against the wording of that condition and any local-authority requirements.
Discuss Your AQDMP Requirements
If you need an Air Quality Dust Management Plan to support a planning application, discharge a planning condition or demonstrate construction-phase environmental controls, Seneca Services can review the requirement and prepare a proportionate, project-specific AQDMP.
We can also advise where related Site Environmental Management Plan, Construction Management Plan, logistics or construction-noise documentation may need to be coordinated with the AQDMP.