Kingston Council launches new Air Quality Action Plan

Kingston Council has revealed a new ambitious plan to show how it will work with residents, businesses and partners over the next five years to improve the borough’s air quality.

The Air Quality Action Plan has been produced as part of the council’s duty to Local Air Quality Management and has been shaped, in part, by Kingston residents who took part in our Citizens’ Assembly on air quality.

The council’s key air quality priorities for the coming five years are: istalling Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) infrastructure such as electric vehicle chargers; promoting and delivering energy efficiency retrofitting projects in workplaces and homes; supporting alerts services such as Airtext, and promoting the Mayor’s air pollution forecasts; reducing pollution in and around schools, and extending school audits to other schools in polluted areas; improving walking and cycling infrastructure; and regular Car Free Days/temporary road closures in high footfall areas.

Stephanie Archer, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainable Transport, said: “The council cannot solve the problem of air pollution on its own, which is why we invited our Citizens’ Assembly to formulate a number of the actions in our new Air Quality Action Plan. Our actions set out how we intend to work with external partners and, where we have less direct control, lobby other organisations to do what they can to improve the quality of our air. Almost every resident, worker or visitor is both a victim of and a contributor to local air pollution and we all have a part to play in improving the situation as individuals.”