Case Study

Northolt Grange Community Centre

The Client & The Project

Phlorum was commissioned by The Hill Group to carry out a construction dust monitoring program at their Northolt Grange Community Centre development site in Northolt, west London.

The project involved demolishing the existing community centre, school building, and multi-use games area and building residential dwellings, a children’s play space, a residential amenity space, a new public open space, and other associated works. The demolition and construction programme is expected to last approximately two and a half years.

Prior to any works commencing on site, a full construction dust risk assessment was undertaken, which determined that the development posed a ‘medium dust risk’ overall, considering the nature of the demolition and construction works and the sensitivity of nearby receptors to airborne particulate matter and deposited dust.

Following the determination of the overall dust risk level, and as part of an appropriate scheme of dust mitigation measures, real-time monitoring of particulate matter (PM10) commenced in August 2023, continuing over the course of the construction programme.

This was all in line with best practice guidance from the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM). PM10 relates to dust particles that are less than 10 micrometres in aerodynamic diameter that are inhalable, and which can cause or exacerbate respiratory illnesses. Such fine particles (including the finer PM2.5 size fraction) are a health concern in relation to construction dust emissions.

Northolt Grange (image source: Hill Group)

The Challenge

The Northolt Grange Community Centre site is located in close proximity to a primary school as well as residential dwellings, making dust generation from construction activities a potential risk affecting those living, learning and working in the local community.

As the development includes extensive demolition and construction activities, continuous dust monitoring was considered essential to track real-time dust levels, allowing action to be taken quickly by the Hill Group site team if dust concentrations rise above set trigger levels, which ensure compliance with appropriate air quality standards.

The Services Provided

Phlorum developed a construction dust monitoring program for the Northolt Grange Community Centre development in accordance with guidance from the GLA and IAQM and the construction management requirements of Ealing Council. The monitoring program involves:

• Installation and ongoing operation of two Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTS) certified PM10 monitors on the site boundary;
• Monitoring of real-time PM10 concentrations, with regular communications with the Hill Group site team to ensure dust mitigation measures are continually and correctly implemented;
• Provision of monthly monitoring reports to both the Hill Group and Ealing Council, detailing time series and monthly average dust concentration data, construction activities and adopted mitigation measures.

Phlorum’s air quality consultants worked closely with Ealing Council to agree on the monitoring approach and regularly communicates updates to the Council throughout the project.