Wednesday night was Clean Air Night and the theme this year was wood burning.
It may come as a surprise, but domestic fuel burning is the single biggest source of harmful small particle air pollution in the UK, which can be linked to heart or lung disease as well as affecting unborn children.
Burning wood also releases more carbon dioxide than oil or gas for the same amount of heat. And wood burners are generally a more expensive way of heating your home than gas boilers or heat pumps.
The whole of Reading borough became a Smoke Control Area from December 2024 which restricted the burning of solid fuel in homes and businesses.
Tackling air pollution is one of the Council’s top priorities to help improve the health of Reading residents. The most vulnerable are people with pre-existing health conditions, children and the elderly. Several studies also show a strong connection between poor air quality and inequality issues, and we know that life expectancy in some parts of Reading is much lower than in others.
Reading’s air quality is improving but there are still some locations in the borough which are above air quality limits.
Transport accounts for around 30% of all carbon emissions nationally and the Council is also taking action to reduce this.
Only this week, councillors approved a major initiative to tackle air pollution by basing car parking charges on vehicle emissions.
This means motorists with the highest polluting vehicles will pay more to park, while those with lower or zero-emission vehicles pay less. The new charges will apply to on-street parking in Reading and to residents and other types of parking permits from 1 April.
This scheme is just one small part of a much larger package of Council measures to encourage the use of low or zero-emission vehicles, public transport, cycling and walking.
One of the barriers to making the transition to electric vehicles are understandable concerns about the availability of charging facilities, particularly for residents living in terraced streets with no off-street parking.
The Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy aims to tackle this by creating a comprehensive network of charging points across the borough.
Last year, the Council secured £866,000 government funding which will allow the installation of up to 2,700 on-street charging points and up to 150 pavement gullies to enable on-street charging.
Later this year, we will see Reading’s first electric buses take to the street. Passengers will be able to travel on 24 new zero-emission buses running on routes 17 and 21.
The Council has been investing to make bus services faster, more reliable, convenient and cheaper, to encourage more people to try alternatives to the private car. Last year, saw an 11% increase in bus passenger numbers in Reading.
Young people are among the most likely to suffer health issues related to air pollution and I am pleased that we now have six School Streets in Reading covering 10 schools. These help to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality outside schools.
The Council is also working with the University of Reading and Stantec to deliver air quality education sessions to children through the Clean Air Living Matters programme. Thousands of pupils from 17 Reading schools have taken part so far. Imagine the impact that has when each pupil then goes home and talks to their friends and family about what they have learned.
It is excellent that those who are among the most vulnerable are playing such a big part in spreading the message about the importance of good air quality.
Cllr Liz Terry is the leader of Reading Borough Council
