Local Transport Plan Consultation
Wokingham Borough Council are currently consulting on their updated Local Transport Plan (LTP4) before adopting a finalised version. LTP4 is a strategic document that sets out how they aim to improve their walking, cycling and public transport facilities in the coming years.
They would like to get feedback from residents on the proposed document and we would be grateful if you could give your response via the link. https://engage.wokingham.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/a-new-local-transport-plan-for-wokingham-borough
The consultation is now live and running until Friday 8th March 2024.
Wokingham’s Air Quality Project is part of the My Journey programme and focuses on improving air quality around the borough. Working with schools, community groups, and stakeholders, the Air Quality Project delivers a series of one-off events, active travel initiatives, campaigns, and provides educational resources. The project has been funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and will be managed and is delivered by the Air Quality Active Travel Officer, Kathryn Horsepool. The project is running from October 2020-October 2023 with the aim of increasing active travel and behavioural changes around improving air quality in the Borough.
The main focus of the WAQ project is to improve air quality around the borough and promote the many benefits of walking, cycling and scooting to school. The project is currently working with schools that are nearby or within the borough’s Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA), where air pollution is higher.
Air Pollution can be harmful to everyone, it particularly affects the most vulnerable in society: children, the elderly, and those with existing heart and lung conditions. There is also often a strong correlation with equalities issues because areas with poor air quality are also often less affluent areas.
The major source of air quality pollutants in Wokingham Borough is road transport, and the main pollutant of concern is nitrogen dioxide gas (NO2).
Emmbrook Junior School was an Air Quality School from September 2022 to September 2023, and will be again this school year, monthly levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas were measured during this time, levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) around the school site, were found to be low throughout the NO2 monitoring period.
However, the school was selected to be an air quality school due to its close location to Wokingham Town Centre, which is an Air Quality Management Area and average monthly levels of nitrogen dioxide are being continuously monitored as they exceed the National Air Quality Objective, set by DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Please try to use active travel to get to and from school (walk, scoot, cycle), whenever possible. This will reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas around the school site and traffic congestion at peak times of the day. Research has shown that active travel to school also makes children more alert and ready to face the school day than if they had arrived in a car: walking, cycling or scooting to school wakes up the mind and body.
For further information on the My Journey Wokingham Air Quality Project (WAQ) please click here.
For further information on DEFRA monitoring of air quality across Wokingham Borough please click here.
The Dangers of Engine Idling - 2 December 2022
We have seen from the NO2 monitoring data we have gathered at our air quality schools, that levels of NO2 pollution increase during the winter months, as more parents/carers are using the car for the school run.
The Royal College of Physicians estimate 40,000 deaths a year in the UK are linked to air pollution, with engine idling contributing to this (visit the Public Protection Partnership website for more information).
The Government is working to address the issue as a whole, but what can you do to help the situation?
If you are a parent/carer of a school age child, please can you always turn off your car engine when dropping off and picking up your child(ren) from school.
Please also see the links to the walking and cycling maps and the link to the primary schools page that contains all the school travel maps, which have been tailored to each individual school, that you may want to this include in your parent newsletter
- https://www.myjourneywokingham.com/cycling/cycle-maps/
- https://www.myjourneywokingham.com/walking/walking-maps/
- https://www.myjourneywokingham.com/schools/primary-schools/
- https://www.myjourneywokingham.com/schools/primary-schools/emmbrook-junior-school/
For further information on the My Journey Wokingham Air Quality Project (WAQ) please click here
For further information on DEFRA monitoring of air quality across Wokingham Borough please click here
Anti-Idling
The DEFRA funded Wokingham Air Quality project and the My Journey team have supplied anti-idling banners to your school, and we are required by DEFRA to evaluate the impact of the Wokingham Air Quality project and send quarterly reports back to DEFRA, we love receiving your feedback as we seek to continually improve the project for future schools.
Idling Facts:
- Running your car engine while your vehicle is stationary is known as idling
- An idling engine can produce up to twice as many exhaust emissions as an engine in motion.
- Exhaust emissions contain a range of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter.
- These can affect the air quality of the surrounding environment and the air we breathe.
- Air pollution causes several health problems and is recognised as a contributing factor in the onset of heart disease and cancer.
- It particularly affects the most vulnerable in society: children, the elderly, and those with existing heart and lung conditions.
- It is linked to about 40,000 deaths a year in the UK, with engine idling contributing to this.
Thanks for being a Wokingham Air Quality School.