Air quality plan gets national approval
Eastleigh Borough Council’s Air Quality Action Plan 2020-2025 that details actions aiming to improve air quality in the Borough for the next five years has been given national approval.
The Action Plan was adopted by the Council in February 2020 and has now been approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The plan includes a wide range of activities including a number of Borough-wide actions together with targeted actions for individual locations, aimed at reducing vehicle emissions and encouraging other modes of travel. These actions will help to improve air quality in the borough and provide a benefit to the health and well-being of our residents and visitors.
The Council also monitors air quality across the Borough and as part of this plan is expanding the number of monitoring sites and the types of pollutants we measure. Work on this has already begun with new equipment installed at Southampton Road, Eastleigh and shortly to be installed in the Hamble Lane area.
The plan also details opportunities to work with communities to identify sites for additional monitoring locations including a recently started study in Campbell Road, Eastleigh.
Other key actions in the plan include:
- Increasing the availability of electric vehicles and charging points
- Improving and extending the walking and cycling network
- Partnership working to improve public transport services
- Working with schools and local businesses
Cabinet Lead for Transport Cllr David Airey said, “I’m delighted that our Air Quality Action Plan has been approved by DEFRA. It’s a significant and well-drawn up plan and includes a range of actions that will drive forward improvements in air quality across the borough including the key areas identified as having poor air quality.”
Read our Air Quality Action Plan documents