Cash boost for air quality improvement projects

A number of  air quality improvement projects in Canterbury have been given a cash boost by the government.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has awarded Canterbury City Council an Air Quality Grant of £33,354, which will be supplemented by £15,000 from council taxpayers to pay for air quality improvement projects.

Some of the money will be used for an awareness campaign at St John’s Primary School in St John’s Place, Canterbury, and St Thomas’ Catholic Primary School, Military Road, Canterbury. Both schools are close to the Air Quality Management Area (AQMA).

The cash will also be used to introduce signs asking drivers to turn off their engines while waiting at the St Dunstan’s and St Stephen’s level crossings as part of a University of Kent research project on the psychology of signs.

The grant will pay for portable air quality monitoring equipment and three super-fast electric charging points to a city centre car park, likely to be St Radigund’s, as part of what is hoped to be a longer-term programme.

Canterbury City Council Leader, Cllr Simon Cook, said: “It is widely recognised the air quality in some areas of the district needs to be improved and officers have been working hard in the background with independent experts and local people with a deep interest in the subject to pull together an air quality action plan.

“Part of that work has been to explore what funding is available and we are pleased this application paid off and the government recognised the valuable work that is being undertaken.

“This money from the government will help us to work with others to start taking some small but practical steps to tackle some of the issues. While we will do all we can as an organisation to improve air quality, the whole district needs to come together to make a positive impact.”

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