Odour control method statement for a commercial kitchen
The odour condition is discharged by a specification, not a promise. Here is the structure that gets a kitchen extract method statement signed off.
An odour control method statement is the document that discharges the odour condition on a restaurant, takeaway or café permission. It is a specification, not an argument. The environmental health officer reading it wants to know what equipment is being installed, in what order, discharging where, maintained how often, and verified by whom.
Most statements are refused because they describe intent rather than equipment. "A suitable filtration system will be installed" discharges nothing. A statement naming the canopy, the extract volume, each abatement stage with its make and model, the duct route, the termination height and the commissioning method gets signed off.
Capture at the canopy and the air volume
Nothing downstream works if the canopy fails to capture. Start the statement with the cooking appliances, because the extract volume is derived from them.
Set out the appliance schedule with the type and the heat input of each unit, the canopy type and its dimensions in relation to the appliance line, the overhang beyond the cooking surface, and the calculated extract volume in m3/s. The usual approach works from a capture velocity across the canopy perimeter, commonly in the region of 0.25 to 0.5 m/s depending on the appliance duty, with higher duties needing more.
Three details officers check:
- canopy overhang beyond the appliance edge, because an undersized canopy spills fumes into the room and then out through the door
- make-up air provision, since an extract system with no replacement air will not achieve its design volume and will pull air back down the flue
- whether a char grill, solid fuel oven or wok range is present, as these raise the abatement requirement considerably
State the design volume as a number and say how it was derived. A statement that gives a fan duty with no calculation behind it invites a query that costs a fortnight.
Abatement stages and their order
Order matters because each stage protects the next. Grease reaching a carbon bed destroys it.
| Stage | Purpose | Typical position |
|---|---|---|
| Baffle or mesh grease filter in the canopy | Removes bulk grease and sparks | At the canopy, first |
| Secondary fine filtration | Removes finer particulate before the next stage | Immediately after the canopy |
| Electrostatic precipitator | Removes fine aerosol and smoke particulate | After grease filtration |
| Ultraviolet or ozone treatment | Oxidises odorous compounds | After particulate removal |
| Activated carbon | Adsorbs residual odour | Last, as the polishing stage |
| Odour neutralising dosing | Masks residual odour | Only as a supplement, never as the primary control |
How many stages you need depends on the food type, the extract volume and the distance to the nearest sensitive receptor. A sandwich bar with a panini press is not a kebab house with a vertical rotisserie, and the statement should say which risk band the premises falls into and why.
Give the make, model and performance data for each unit, and state the pressure drop so the fan selection can be checked against it. Carbon needs its bed depth and contact time stated, because a thin bed in a high-velocity duct does very little.
Duct route, termination height and velocity
The termination is the part neighbours experience and the part most often compromised by the landlord.
The statement should include a drawing showing the duct route in plan and section, the material and construction, the position of access panels, the fire damper arrangement where it passes through compartments, and the termination detail.
For the termination itself, the expected position is at roof level, discharging vertically upwards, at least a metre above the ridge, clear of openable windows and away from any adjoining occupier's intake. Discharge velocity is usually specified in the region of 10 to 15 m/s to achieve plume rise and dispersion. A cowl, a bend to horizontal or a low-level louvre at first-floor level will all generate complaints, and a statement proposing one needs a very good reason and probably a modelled assessment.
Where the building is in multiple occupation and the riser route is contested, resolve that before applying. A permission with an odour condition the lease will not permit you to satisfy is worse than no permission, and the specification of the system belongs in the ventilation and extraction statement submitted with the application rather than being discovered at discharge stage.
Fan selection and acoustic treatment
The fan has to deliver the design volume against the total system resistance, including the pressure drop across every abatement stage when the filters are part loaded. Selecting against clean-filter resistance produces a system that underperforms within a month.
Include the fan make and model, the duty point with the total static pressure, the sound power level, the anti-vibration mounts and flexible connections, and the attenuator selection. Where the fan sits on a flat roof near residential windows, an acoustic enclosure may be needed as well.
Then state the predicted plant noise level at the nearest noise-sensitive facade and how it compares with the measured background. Where an odour condition and a noise condition both apply, deal with them in a single coordinated submission, because the attenuator that fixes the noise adds the resistance that breaks the airflow. That interaction is the one most often missed, and it is why the Noise Impact Assessment and the extract specification should be produced by people who have spoken to each other.
An illustrative outline
Illustrative only, and not based on a real premises. A statement for a 70-cover Indian restaurant with a tandoor might run in this order: appliance schedule and heat inputs, canopy specification and capture velocity, design extract volume with the calculation, abatement train with make, model and pressure drop for each stage, make-up air arrangement, duct route drawing with access panels, termination detail at 1.2 m above ridge with discharge velocity, fan selection at the duty point, acoustic treatment with the predicted level at the nearest facade, maintenance schedule with filter intervals, commissioning and verification procedure, then record keeping. Twelve headings, most of them half a page, every number traceable to a calculation or a data sheet.
Access for maintenance and filter intervals
A system that cannot be reached will not be cleaned, and an uncleaned system is both an odour source and a fire risk.
Specify access panels at every change of direction and at each abatement stage, with the dimensions and the clearance in front of them. Say how the roof plant is reached and whether a permanent means of access, edge protection or a hoist is needed. Then give the maintenance schedule:
- Grease filter cleaning or replacement, with the interval set by cooking intensity, often weekly or more frequently for heavy frying.
- Secondary filter replacement at the manufacturer's stated interval.
- Electrostatic cell washing, typically on a monthly cycle.
- Ultraviolet lamp replacement at the stated service life, not when the lamp fails.
- Carbon media replacement based on hours of operation and loading, confirmed by the supplier.
- Full duct and canopy deep clean to the recognised grease cleaning standard, at a frequency set by usage, with a certificate issued.
Name who carries out each task, in-house or contracted, and keep the schedule realistic. A weekly task written into a statement and then skipped is evidence against you if a complaint arises.
Commissioning and verification evidence
The condition will usually require evidence that the system performs as specified before the premises opens. Say in the statement what that evidence will be.
A workable verification package covers measured airflow at the canopy and in the duct against the design volume, confirmation that each abatement stage is installed as specified with serial numbers, the fan duty measured at the installed condition, a measured plant noise level at the nearest facade, and a photographic record of the termination. Where the risk is high, an odour assessment after commissioning may be required, which is where a modelled Odour Assessment with a proper source inventory comes in.
Commission with the kitchen actually cooking. An airflow test on an empty kitchen tells you about the fan and nothing about the capture.
Record keeping on the premises
The last section is short and it is the one that protects you.
Keep on site, and available on request: the commissioning report, the equipment data sheets, the maintenance schedule, a signed log of every maintenance visit with the date and the task, deep clean certificates, and a record of any complaint with the response. A log going back two years with no gaps is a strong answer to an allegation of statutory nuisance. A log that starts the week the complaint arrived is not.
Where the operation changes, new appliances, longer hours, a different menu, revisit the statement rather than hoping the original specification still covers it. A material change may need a variation of the condition, and the section 73 application documents checklist sets out what that involves.
PlanScope can draft the supporting statements around a kitchen fit-out from your premises details and appliance list, flagging the figures it cannot verify instead of inventing them, with the equipment selection left to your ventilation engineer. Enter your postcode on PlanScope to see which reports a change of use is likely to need.
PlanScope provides AI-assisted draft reports for planning applications. Reports should be reviewed before submission. We do not guarantee planning approval. For specialist technical reports, qualified professional input may be required. This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the position with your local planning authority or a qualified professional before relying on it.
Frequently asked questions
What should an odour control method statement include?
An appliance schedule with heat inputs, the canopy specification and capture velocity, the design extract volume with its calculation, every abatement stage with make, model and pressure drop, the duct route and termination detail, the fan duty, acoustic treatment, a maintenance schedule with intervals, and the commissioning evidence you will provide.
In what order should abatement stages be arranged?
Grease filtration at the canopy first, then secondary fine filtration, then an electrostatic precipitator for fine particulate, then ultraviolet or ozone treatment, with activated carbon last as the polishing stage. Each stage protects the next, and grease reaching a carbon bed destroys it. Odour neutralising dosing is a supplement, never the primary control.
How high does a kitchen extract have to terminate?
The expected arrangement is discharge at roof level, vertically upwards, at least a metre above the ridge, clear of openable windows and away from any adjoining occupier's air intake. Discharge velocity is usually specified around 10 to 15 metres per second to achieve plume rise. A cowl or a low-level louvre invites complaints.
How often do filters need changing?
Grease filters often weekly or more frequently for heavy frying, secondary filters at the manufacturer's interval, electrostatic cells typically monthly, ultraviolet lamps at their stated service life rather than on failure, and carbon media based on operating hours and loading. Record every visit, because the log is the evidence if a complaint arises.
What commissioning evidence will the council want?
Measured airflow at the canopy and in the duct against the design volume, confirmation that each abatement stage is installed as specified with serial numbers, the fan duty at the installed condition, a measured plant noise level at the nearest facade, and a photographic record of the termination. Commission with the kitchen actually cooking.
Sources and further reading
This article is general guidance about the planning system in England and, where stated, the rest of the UK. It is not legal or professional advice. Check your local planning authority’s validation requirements and take professional advice for your specific site.