AS part of plans to improve air quality around the borough Ealing Council has agreed to fund the installation of air quality monitoring devices in local schools.

The devices, which with installation fees and educational programmes on the impact of air pollution will cost almost £240,000, use live data to help reduce harmful pollution and strengthen the council's Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP).

How traffic congestion impacts health and the positive impact actions such as walking, cycling and scooting on the school run can have on air quality will be part of the syllabus in education provided to pupils, teachers and parents.

Councillor Deirdre Costigan, cabinet member for climate action said: "London's air pollution can be fatal and tragically, it contributed to up to more than 4,000 deaths across the capital in 2019 alone. Dirty air around our schools is rightly a serious concern for every family.

Cutting air pollution is not only important for the health and wellbeing of residents, as Councillor Costigan continues: "Even a small vehicle running on petrol, can emit an average of more than 19 grams of CO2 a minute when its engine is on. It all adds up to a polluting cocktail filling the air we breathe," she said.

"Tackling the climate crisis is a huge challenge and to be successful, we need to drastically cut the polluting gasses released from shorter car journeys – it's vital for our key aim of achieving net zero for carbon emissions by 2030.

"This is why the council is doing everything possible to support residents to walk, cycle and scoot wherever possible, as an alternative to car travel.

"We are investing £10m into active travel initiatives as well as introducing more bike hangars and electric vehicle charge points and slashing the cost of bike hangar permits to the lowest in London. And of course our pledge to plant 50,000 more trees will also help to improve the air we breathe."

"That is why tackling air pollution is one of the council's top priorities and I am delighted that we have secured this investment, which will go straight into educational and monitoring equipment in our schools and education on how to reduce pollution on the school run.