Local authorities across England have been granted almost £11 million in the latest round of funding for projects that will improve air quality.
The money, from the Government's annual Air Quality Grant, helps councils develop and implement measures to benefit schools, businesses and communities and reduce the impact of air pollution on people's health.
This year's grants total £10.7 million, with funding supporting programmes that will educate doctors, nurses and social care workers about air quality; electrify a diesel refuse collection vehicle and procure an electric road sweeper in Blaby, Leicestershire; and roll out monitoring sensors to make real-time air quality information available to the public in Lewisham, south London.
On Tyneside, a long-term campaign aimed at schools and pollution hotspots in residential areas will educate people of all ages about the dangers of air pollution, whilst an Air Quality Officer will be employed in Cornwall to visit schools.
Funding will also support an e-cargo bike library, helping local businesses in Norfolk to cut operating costs while lowering their emissions; and the implementation of a river freight scheme in Westminster which will serve as a greener alternative to the use of more polluting vehicles in the city.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:
We have made great strides in tackling air pollution at a national level since 2010, but we must do more to improve air quality and protect public health.
From Tyneside to Cornwall, this funding will support a range of inspiring and innovative projects across the country - stepping up our monitoring of harmful pollutants, educating the public and boosting the use of green transport.
This builds on our world-leading Environment Act commitments that will enhance our natural environment and safeguard public health for future generations.
The government is taking decisive action to cut air pollution. Through the Environment Act, the government has set two legally-binding targets to reduce the level of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) - the most harmful pollutant to human health - in our air by 2040.
The Environmental Improvement Plan - published last week to build on the vision set out in the government's 25 Year Environment Plan - set out interim targets to reduce concentrations of, and reduce public exposure to, PM2.5 by the end of January 2028, alongside a range of policies to work towards these targets.
The Plan also committed to challenging councils to improve air quality more quickly by assessing their performance and use of existing powers, while supporting them with clear guidance, funding and tools. Moreover, it pledged to improve the way air quality information is communicated with the public. Today's announcement demonstrates key steps forward in the delivery of these commitments.
This latest grant funding means that around £53 million has been awarded across almost 500 projects through the Air Quality Grant scheme since 2010.
£883 million has been made available as part of the government's NO2 Plan to support local authorities in cleaning up transport and cutting levels of nitrogen dioxide down to legal levels in the shortest possible time. More widely, the government has already spent over £2 billion to support the move to zero emission vehicles, helping drive forward the decarbonisation of the UK's entire transport system. Funding is available from the Department for Transport for local authorities, as well as businesses, charities, private rental accommodation, flats and social housing with off-street parking spaces, to install electric vehicle charge-points and infrastructure. These actions will deliver better air quality for all.
Together, these projects have contributed to the significant improvement in air quality seen in the UK in recent decades. Since 2010, emissions of fine particulate matter have fallen by 18%, while emissions of nitrogen oxides have fallen by 44% and sulphur dioxide by 70%.
| Local authority | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford Borough Council | Review of local smoke control areas and solid fuel regulations to determine improvements, and public engagement to raise awareness about particulate matter. | £36,332 |
| Bedford Borough Council | Engagement with local schools, community and faith groups, and strengthen links with Primary Care Networks to encourage reduced vehicle use through active and sustainable travel. | £113,071 |
| Blaby District Council | Conversion of diesel refuse collection vehicle to electric and purchase of electric road sweeper to reduce emissions from refuse collection. | £573,701 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council | Engagement with schools to encourage active and sustainable travel. Purchase of e-cargo bikes to replace diesel powered delivery freight on the sea front. | £120,309 |
| Buckinghamshire Council | Driver improvement training to reduce emissions and travel planning scheme for local small to medium size businesses to develop sustainable travel to work plans for employees. | £120,000 |
| City of York | Awareness raising campaign for domestic burning to increase public knowledge about air quality and development of a public air pollution forecasting alert system. | £101,375 |
| Colchester Borough Council | Promotion of sustainable freight such as e-cargo bikes to local businesses. Air quality awareness, active and sustainable travel, and anti-idling campaign in schools. Community cycle scheme. | £310,770 |
| Cornwall Council | Employment of a school air quality officer to provide an air quality awareness programme to over 3000 students. | £62,160 |
| Derbyshire County Council | Data collection to develop and deliver a traffic management plan that will reduce congestion and improve traffic flow across Derbyshire. | £278,347 |
| East Herts Council | Purchase of air quality monitors to improve data for pollution in Air Quality Management Areas. Development of a social media campaign for these areas to improve knowledge about air quality and encourage reduced car use through car sharing and active travel. Engagement and awareness raising in local schools to reduce idling and encourage active travel. Creation of travel plans for local businesses. | £126,408 |
| Exeter City Council | Development of a public facing air quality map for NO2 and particulate matter that will highlight health implications of air quality, ways to limit exposure, and ways to decrease individual's air pollution footprint. | £367,428 |
| Lancaster City Council Air Quality | Encourage take up of electric taxis through behaviour and awareness campaign and a discounted leasing scheme. Development of local taxi policy which will support the uptake of electric vehicles | 4£54,576 |
| Lincolnshire County Council (In partnership with councils for City of Lincoln, South Kesteven District, North Kesteven District, Boston Borough, East Lindsey District, West Lindsey District, and South Holland District). | School education and awareness programme. Community engagement campaign and development of a dedicated Lincolnshire Clean Air Project website to raise public awareness of air quality and steps they can take to reduce pollution. | £58,180 |
| London Borough of Brent | Creation of low pollution walking maps for all schools in the borough. Education and awareness campaign in schools to raise awareness about air quality and encourage walking and active travel. | £470,546 |
| London Borough of Camden | School engagement and awareness programme to reduce transport emissions and children's exposure to pollution. Creation of an Air Quality Health toolkit, and awareness raising campaign in the borough. | £170,645 |
| London Borough of Enfield | Air quality monitoring at participating local schools to develop knowledge and awareness, improve safety outside schools, reduce idling, and encourage sustainable and active travel. Increased school cycle storage. Engagement with the local community to raise awareness about the school project. | £223,500 |
| London Borough of Havering | School workshop and theatre engagement programme to improve knowledge and awareness about air quality, develop clean air route maps, and reduce emissions particularly from idling. Training of teachers to deliver cycling lessons to pupils. Engagement with local businesses to analyse and improve commuter behaviour and develop information that could inform future interventions to improve air quality. | £65,127 |
| London Borough of Havering | Guided cycle and walking routes for schools to encourage active travel and reduce children's exposure to pollution when travelling to and from school. Development of a travel plan for the local hospital to reduce NO2 emissions from staff and patient travel. | £35,139 |
| London Borough of Islington | Engagement and awareness campaign to improve knowledge of NO2 and particulate matter pollution supported by air quality data gathered by school pupils, community groups and residents. Development of council website to collate live and historic air quality and transport data accessible to the public. | £282,680 |
| London Borough of Lewisham | Improvement of air quality sensor network to improve data and understanding about NO2 and particulate matter to develop targeted interventions to reduce pollution. | £248,021 |
| London Borough of Redbridge | Community engagement and outreach plan to improve knowledge and information about air quality with a focus on children and vulnerable groups. Development of an interactive air quality map using data gathered by the community. Cycle training for pupils and parents, plus extra school cycle storage. | £323,774 |
| London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham | Promotion of cargo bikes to businesses to encourage shared use cargo bikes and funding to support purchase of their own bike. | £277,950 |
| Maldon District Council | Development of plans to re-route Heavy Goods Vehicles to improve air quality in a pollution hotspot. Development of a voluntary low emissions zone in Maldon town centre. Introduction of air quality forecasting and text alert service to improve public knowledge and access to air quality information. | £129,000 |
| Medway Council- Environmental Protection Team | Real time traffic monitoring and data modelling to develop traffic management interventions that will reduce air pollution. | £279,533 |
| Norfolk County Council | E-cargo bike library for local businesses to promote and facilitate alternatives to private vehicle use. | £171,545 |
| Oxford City Council | Installation of electric charging infrastructure for live-aboard boaters, with the aim to reduce particulate matter and smoke pollution along Oxford's waterways. | £192,993 |
| Reading Borough Council | Interactive education programme in primary and secondary schools to raise awareness about air quality and encourage behaviour change to reduce NO2 and particulate matter pollution supported by air quality data gathered by pupils. This material will be developed for a wider community engagement campaign focusing on children and vulnerable groups. | £327,000 |
| South Ribble Borough Council | Access for additional schools to the established 'Clean Air Crew' website and online learning resources to support air quality education in schools. | £53,244 |
| South Tyneside Council | Purchase of sensors for long term monitoring of NO2, PM10, and PM2.5. Real time data will be collated and published on a public website and supported by a media campaign to raise public awareness and knowledge about air quality and encourage action to prevent pollution and improve air quality. | £201,005 |
| Southampton City Council | Training of healthcare professionals so they can advise vulnerable patients about air quality and action they can take to reduce pollution and their exposure to it. Development of community air quality engagement programme to consolidate existing projects for woodburning, schools and healthcare into a single co-ordinated programme to deliver unified air quality information and messaging. | £248,198 |
| Southend-on-Sea Borough Council | Air quality audit and sensor monitoring in 10 local schools to develop knowledge about local pollution to improve knowledge and develop interventions that will improve air quality and reduce pupil exposure to pollution. | £256,285 |
| St Helens Borough Council | Improve air quality for residents with asthma through monitoring indoor air quality, raising awareness about the impact of air quality on health, and advising on interventions to reduce pollution and exposure levels. | £405,227 |
| Surrey Heath Borough Council | Purchase of portable device to monitor PM2.5 and development content for an air quality website to share data to raise awareness and advise on interventions to reduce pollution and exposure levels. | £12,280 |
| Swindon Borough Council | Road traffic management signage to influence driver behaviour to reduce NO2 pollution. Engagement and awareness campaign with schools and community groups to encourage active travel. Collaboration with Public and Environmental Health to encourage improved domestic burning behaviour. | £148,902 |
| Telford and Wrekin Council | Monitoring, and engagement and awareness raising in local schools to reduce idling, encourage sustainable and active travel for pupils and their families. Replace Environmental Health Team diesel vehicle with electric vehicle for conducting air quality monitoring surveys, school visits and promotional activities. | £147,615 |
| Tunbridge Wells Council | Develop a digital training resource for Health Care Practitioners across Kent and Medway to enable practitioners to advise patients with cardio-vascular disease or respiratory disease on how to reduce their exposure to air pollution. | £175,675 |
| West Midlands Combined Authority | Particulate Matter monitoring and engagement programme to increase awareness and encourage behaviour change towards domestic burning across the region. | £918,531 |
| West Northamptonshire Council | Particulate Matter monitoring programme to improve data on background particulate matter across the county, gather data on the prevalence of solid fuel combustion in domestic properties to develop interventions to improve domestic burning behaviour. Review of Smoke Control Areas for the recently formed unitary council. | £292,378 |
| West Yorkshire Combined Authority | Particulate matter monitoring and engagement programme to increase awareness and encourage behaviour change around domestic burning across the region. | £220,457 |
| Westminster City Council | Development of a Clean Air Walking route tool to support users in reducing their exposure to air pollution in central London. | £72,521 |
| Westminster City Council | Reduce NO2 by supporting a network of Mini-Freight Hubs in central London that are serviced by river freight and Zero Emission Last Mile Deliveries. | £1,000,000 |
| Wirral Borough Council | Particulate matter monitoring and engagement programme to increase awareness, encourage behaviour change around domestic burning, advise residents how they can reduce their exposure, and review local enforcement of legislation. | £171,200 |
| Wokingham Borough Council | Engagement and awareness campaign with 6 schools to reduce pollution by reducing reliance on cars and encouraging active and sustainable travel. | £213,332 |
| Worcestershire Regulatory Services | Enhancement of air quality monitoring across Worcester to provide real time data that can be used to drive local air quality policy, disseminate public health information and alerts about poor air quality episodes, and advise the public on interventions to reduce pollution and exposure levels. | £248,400 |
