The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched plans to ensure new buildings are forced to improve the air quality in London. 

Khan announced new rules, called the Air Quality Positive guidance, that would mean as part of obtaining planning permission, new large-scale developments and masterplans would have to consider air quality at all stages of the design process and demonstrate how design features help to reduce exposure to pollution. 

The Air Quality Neutral guidance, also announced by Khan, will stipulate that new developments will not be allowed to contribute to air pollution beyond certain benchmarks, these would also make it harder to use the most polluting fuels, like wood or solid fuels for heating. 

Khan, said: "Toxic air is a matter of life and death, causing around 4000 premature deaths every year in London, and leading to asthma in the young and dementia in the elderly.  

"I have made it a top priority as Mayor to tackle London's air pollution and the climate crisis. The ULEZ has cut transport related air pollution by 44 per cent in central London and carbon emissions by 6 per cent.  

"But we must also cut carbon emissions and air pollution from new developments. 

"Now, thanks to my London Plan, developers will have to put air quality and carbon emissions at the heart of their projects from the very beginning and build their developments more sustainably.  

"This will help us to continue building a better, greener London for everyone." 

Buildings in London are responsible for nearly 80% of carbon emissions in the capital and are also a large contributor to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. 

A new TfL development in Wembley in partnership with Barratt London, Wembley Park Gardens, has already hit the new criteria, partially by reducing car travel, but also by installing solar panels, an electric heating system with air source heat pumps, cycle storage for residents and electric vehicle charging. 

Stephen Thompson, Managing Director of Barratt East London, said: "We want to be a leading national sustainable housebuilder and air quality is an important part of that.  

"Wembley Park is a good example of bringing together lots of different sustainable elements that combined to minimise pollution and maximise air quality.  

"Heat pumps, solar panels, and biodiverse roofs are good examples of this which, together with the excellent transport infrastructure at Wembley, all helps to promote sustainable lifestyles."