£1 million to be invested in improving air quality around Sheffield
Sheffield City Council is funding several schemes to improve school air quality
Sheffield City Council is putting £1m raised through the city's Clean Air Zone towards projects to future boost air quality across the city.
The investment is going towards eight projects prioritising walking, wheeling, cycling, and public transport for children.
Through Bikeability North, cycle training will be provided to over 400 school-aged children to improve their skills and confidence.
Safety measures are being implemented with 20 mph restrictions on roads outside 22 schools to regulate traffic speeds.
19 schools are also participating in School Streets, involving road closures during pick-up and drop-off times to better road safety and air quality.
Funding has also allowed for the installation of 10 new cycle storages at schools and extends the Modeshift STARS School Engagement Team’s work with 70 schools for another year, delivering clean air projects.
Poor quality air in Sheffield contributes to between 250 and 500 deaths annually, with children being particularly vulnerable to respiratory illnesses.
Cllr Ben Miskell, who is in charge of transport at Sheffield City Council, said: "Our children and young people are our future. The impact of poor air quality on their health starts during early pregnancy and long-term exposure can leave their lungs permanently damaged."
"We want to give them the best possible start, that’s why we have invested over £900,000 into projects to improve air quality around our schools, as well as programmes to educate our young people about how they can make greener choices when they travel around our city.
"We’re also working to boost their confidence in cycling, through cycling schemes, as well as giving them the voice to promote road safety within their schools.
"Through the Clean Air Zone, we are already seeing major improvements to pollution levels across the city, and CAZ investment is allowing us to make even more improvements with real impact, but there’s more to be done."