Dust is one of the most common causes of complaints from neighbours, and one of the most common subjects of planning conditions. Many councils now ask for a standalone Dust Management Plan, or an Air Quality and Dust Management Plan, before demolition or construction begins.
The assessment method
Most councils expect dust risk to be assessed using the Institute of Air Quality Management's guidance on the assessment of dust from demolition and construction, updated in January 2024. The method looks at four activities:
- demolition
- earthworks
- construction
- trackout, meaning dust and mud carried onto the road by vehicles
For each, it considers the scale of the work and the sensitivity of the surrounding area, then assigns a risk of low, medium or high for:
- dust soiling
- human health
- ecological effects
Mitigation matched to the risk
The guidance links mitigation to the risk level. Typical measures include:
- solid hoarding
- damping down
- covered skips and stockpiles
- wheel washing
- road sweeping
- enclosed chutes
- restrictions on dry cutting
- speed limits on haul routes
- bans on burning waste
High-risk sites are expected to adopt a wider set of measures than low-risk sites. A plan that lists every possible measure without linking them to the assessed risk is less convincing than one that shows why each measure is there.
Monitoring
Monitoring requirements also scale with risk. Lower-risk sites may only need daily visual inspections and a log. Higher-risk sites, particularly in London, are often required to install continuous particulate monitors with trigger levels and alerts. IAQM published a position statement on construction monitoring in 2025, which many councils now reference.
London specifics
In London, dust plans usually also cover machinery emissions. Since January 2025, Stage IV engines have been required across all of Greater London under the Non-Road Mobile Machinery Low Emission Zone, with Stage V for generators. Machinery must be logged on the NRMM register.
Making the plan work on site
The best dust management plans name a responsible person, set inspection frequencies, explain what happens when a trigger level is exceeded, and describe how complaints are recorded and resolved. Those details are what an environmental health officer will ask for when a neighbour complains, so they are worth getting right at the start.