Improving air quality in the district

Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils have put together a new plan of action for the next four years to improve air quality and are asking residents to have their say on the proposals.

The current plans have been in place for eight to nine years and have been reviewed to ensure that the current pollutant levels are taken into account and that the right plans are in place to deal with the current obstacles. This has led to a new Joint Air Quality Action Plan for both districts, and the councils would like to hear what local organisations and residents think of it.

The councils say that over the last five years most places have seen a consistent reduction in one of the main pollutants which is measured, nitrogen dioxide. They say that this improvement can be attributed to a number of factors, including the work of previous air quality action plans, a change in behaviour with more people working from home and the use of cleaner vehicles such as electric vehicles.

Other proposals include promoting walking and cycling, the use of low emission vehicles, and increased use of public transport.

The survey

The councils would like residents’ views on the action plan and have devised a survey to collate opinions. The survey is available here and opened on 15 June and runs until 27 July.