Council marks Clean Air Day with guidance for residents

The East Staffordshire Borough Council will be celebrating Global Action Plan’s Clean Air Day on Thursday, 18 June.

As part of the celebrations, the council has launched a set of guidance to citizens who are urged to make a small change during the day.

Citizens are encouraged to;

• Walk, cycle or use public transport instead of driving, especially for short trips. East Staffordshire has a growing network of active travel routes.
• Don’t Idle - if you drive, switch the engine off when stationary, keep to a steady speed and avoid harsh acceleration or braking.
• Consider an electric or hybrid vehicle when replacing vehicles.
• Avoid unnecessary burning at home in open fires or wood-burning stoves unless it is the only source of heat. If you do burn, use dry, ready-to-burn materials and an eco-design accredited appliance.
• Choose fragrance-free cleaning products, roll-on rather than spray deodorants, and low-VOC paints for decorating.
• When shopping online, choose green delivery slots and consolidate orders to reduce delivery vehicle trips.
• Check local air quality data for East Staffordshire at the EarthSense public portal.

Air pollution affects everyone’s health and is linked to a range of serious health conditions from premature birth and childhood asthma to heart and lung disease, diabetes and strokes in later life.

Children, older people and those with existing health conditions are particularly vulnerable to the effects of dirty air.

The air quality in East Staffordshire is heading in the right direction with the remaining Air Quality Management Area at Derby Turn in Burton upon Trent now recording nitrogen dioxide levels below the annual target for three consecutive years.

Schools across the borough are playing their part too. The Staffordshire County Council Air Aware Project, which now works with 15 local schools, is trialling dedicated ‘school streets’ at two Burton primary schools and working with charity Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans) to cut car use and pollution around school gates.

Pupils have led anti-idling campaigns at school gates, and eight schools now have their own Travel Plan to encourage cleaner, healthier journeys.

Residents can also check the air quality in their area using a free online tool.

Meanwhile, new electric buses have been brought into service on routes 2, 8 and 9 in the Borough, reducing the pollution caused by older diesel vehicles.

Visit the council website to find out more about their work on air quality and climate change.