Sefton Council is getting behind Clean Air Day this year and urging people to take small steps to make a big difference to air pollution in Sefton.

Today's national Clean Air Day focuses on the positive impact that cleaning up air pollution can have, not only our physical health and the environment, but also our mental and brain health.

School Streets pilot

The Council recently announced the launch of the Borough’s first School Streets pilot. The scheme reduces vehicle access to roads outside schools at pick-up and drop-off times. The initiative aims to reduce vehicle emissions outside schools and children’s exposure to harmful air pollutants.

More information on the School Streets scheme in Sefton can be found at: Southport students launch Borough's first ever School Streets pilot

Air Quality monitoring

In addition to the benefits of this scheme to both the environment and the community’s health, 

the Council is hoping the scheme could also improve air quality.

Two air quality monitoring sensors have been installed at both schools and the Council is gathering air quality data to monitor the levels of Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter (air pollutants associated with traffic).

Clllr Paulette Lappin, Cabinet Member for Regulatory and Corporate Services said: “Clean Air Day is an important initiative to raise awareness of the issue of air quality and the small changes we can make to improve this for everyone.

“As a Borough we all have a responsibility to tackle some of the greatest challenges such as poor air quality, and the School Streets pilot is a fantastic example of how we can together make positive changes for the environment.

“I encourage everyone to support the pilot and help make our Borough a cleaner, greener and healthier place to live.”

Top tips

Sefton Council is using Clean Air Day to raise awareness of the small things people can do that will reduce our air pollution levels.

Some top tips include:

• No idling - If you’ve stopped your car, turn it off!
• Consider Active Travel for short journeys – walk, run, cycle!
• Consider a low emission vehicle
• Use public transport where you can

Clean Air Crew

The Southport Eco Centre have developed Clean Air Crew and have been working with schools for the past 4 years increasing awareness on the issue and the important role schools can play in promoting positive behavioural change.

An online hub full of educational resources and campaign materials to make it easy for children, parents, and schools to get involved is available at www.cleanaircrew.co.uk

If you want to know if your school is signed up, please contact the Eco Centre Team by visiting the website: www.southportecocentre.com

To find out more about the national campaign, people can visit the Clean Air Day website.