GREEN-minded councillors in Stratford district are supporting the national campaign for Clean Air Day.
Clean Air Day, the UK’s largest campaign on air pollution, takes place today (Thursday) and this year’s theme is – “Clean up our air to look after your mind this #CleanAirDay”.
The campaign is focusing on the fact that cleaning up our air is good for us in many ways. It not only benefits our physical health and the environment but can also protect our mental and brain health.
Improving air quality is a priority for Stratford District Council and is a really important part of the work being done to tackle the climate emergency. Key polices in the Core Strategy reflect SDC’s Vision for Air Quality – to encourage well designed sustainable development that reduces emissions and exposure to pollution and contributes to better air quality management.
SDC monitors Nitrogen Dioxide, a key traffic pollutant, at 17 locations on a monthly basis. Additionally, there are three stations providing daily air quality data for a range of pollutants at key hotspots.
And while air quality in Stratford district is generally good, SDC aims to improve air quality through its Development Requirements Supplementary Planning Document – a document that provides additional guidance of a number of polices within the Core Strategy and sets out circumstances in which Air Quality Assessments will be required for proposals for new development.
One small step SDC also encourages residents to take, is to use the domestic garden waste collection service or to take waste to the tip instead of having garden bonfires, and to use the right fuels in their domestic fire and stoves.
The Warwickshire Local Transport Plan provides a comprehensive area strategy for Stratford district with particular emphasis on encouraging a greater use of more sustainable forms of transport and reducing the environmental impact of traffic across the district, as well as reducing the dominance of vehicle traffic in Stratford town centre and improving air quality within existing Air Quality Management Areas.
As a district council, Stratford has declared a climate emergency to become net-zero carbon as an organisation by 2025, and by 2030 seeks to reduce the total emissions in Stratford district as a whole by at least 55 per cent as a stepping stone to becoming a net zero district.
SDC leader Coun Susan Juned added: “Air pollution issues affect all of us and we all have a part to play in improving air quality and protecting our own health and the health of those around us.
“Clean Air Day is an opportunity to think about your own actions and how small changes could make a big difference. What can start as a pledge for Clean Air Day, could become a permanent change for the better and support a healthier future for everyone.”
To find out more about Clean Air Day visit https://www.cleanairday.org.uk/
