Thanet council announces air quality improvements in the district
16:06, 02 August 2019
updated: 16:07, 02 August 2019
Improvements to air quality in the district have been reported throughout Thanet.
Latest figures show the amount of harmful gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and airborne particles are within government guidelines.
Data released by Thanet District Council this week revealed falling rates of NO2 at monitoring stations in Birchington and Ramsgate.
The district is one of just three local authorities in Kent to report achieving guideline levels.
Each council in the country must monitor air quality and Thanet has been taking measurements since 1993.
An air quality management area (AQMA) was designated in Birchington in 2006 and a second followed in Ramsgate in 2011.
It comes after Thanet councillors declared a climate emergency for the district and aiming to become carbon neutral by 2030.
The council says improving air quality is something officers are continuously monitoring and addressing.
The impact of particulate matter and the cost to the UK is estimated to be about £16 billion a year.
Pollution can have a significant effect on health especially for people with existing respiratory conditions like asthma.
'An improvement in the air quality across Thanet is a real positive for the health of the local population,' Cllr Lesley Game
The main cause of pollution is traffic which often increases in Thanet during the summer months due to an influx of visitors.
The council says it is working to improve air quality by introducing more electric vehicle infrastructure - including installing charging points in public car parks.
Two dedicated taxi and private hire charging points are due to be installed next year to help address the government target to ban petrol and diesel vehicles from all of Britain's roads by 2040.
Cllr Lesley Game, cabinet member for housing and safer neighbourhoods, said: "This is fantastic news for residents. The fact that we are seeing an improvement in the air quality across Thanet is a real positive for the health of the local population.
"We will continue to work with partners to consistently monitor air quality and to encourage more sustainable travel. I would also urge people to get involved in the low emissions consultation that is currently taking place."
A consultation on the Kent Energy and Low Emissions Strategy is open until September 23 via the Kent County Council website www.kent.gov.uk/energyandlowemissionsconsultation.
