Council to work with local schools to tackle air pollution
£132,000 DEFRA grant awarded to boost active travel on the school run and improve air quality
Eastleigh Borough Council will be working with six schools on a project to increase knowledge around air quality issues and boost active travel to and from schools - leading to better health outcomes and cleaner air for pupils, parents, and residents.
The project aims to increase the number of people walking or cycling the school run, which reduces both exposure to air pollution and the number of private vehicles on the road. This will result in:
- improved public health and reduced health burdens from Nitrous dioxide (NO2) exposure;
- reduced greenhouse gas emissions from private car use; and
- helping to reduce NO2 concentrations to levels below the national objective.
The project will be delivered in conjunction with six local schools and will include:
- a campaign aimed at providing information on how people can reduce their personal exposure to air pollution
- air quality projects run in six schools for ten months over the 2022-23 academic year, to include focussed lessons linked to the national curriculum; pupil-led campaigns and events; use of monitoring and mapping clean air routes; and promotion of active travel
- a follow-up campaign around active travel, using materials and messages developed throughout the school’s engagement programme include a targeted leaflet mailout, and promotion in local public spaces
The Council has a statutory duty to monitor air quality and produce an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) for the four declared Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) across the Borough. This grant funded project will help deliver the AQAPs aspiration to reduce the exposure of people in the Borough to poor air quality.
Cabinet Lead for Environment Cllr Rupert Kyrle said, ‘This is a great opportunity to work within our community to raise the issue of air quality and to undertake a number of activities to improve air quality in our borough.”