Air quality monitors installed outside Bury’s schools

Thursday, 11 November 2021 22:04

By David Murphy

Bury Council has installed air quality sensors outside three schools to help raise awareness of the impact of the daily drop-off and pick-up.

Three sensors have been installed initially at Chesham, Christ Church Ainsworth and Lowercroft primary schools, and will be taken to schools across the borough between now and summer 2023.

The monitors will provide data on several pollutants and can be used by the school to inform decision-making around operations, but can also feed into the curriculum and provide students with hands-on science. The data can be accessed publicly at https://portal.earthsense.co.uk/BuryCouncilPublic/

Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, climate change and operations, said: “Poor air quality is attributed to 28,000-36,000 deaths per year in the UK and is now the biggest environmental threat to health. Studies have shown that children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution given that their lungs are still developing.

“We need to raise awareness of the issues and highlight to parents and teachers that we need to move towards alternative methods of travelling around Bury. The monitors will provide trend data and show whether the drop off/pick up times significantly affect air quality near schools.

“I’d also urge parents to, whenever they can, encourage their children to walk, cycle or take public transport to school.”

The sensors are provided by EarthSense and are being funded through the council’s climate change commitments. The authority will work with the schools to incorporate air quality, climate change and wider environmental science into the curriculum.

With the next rotation scheduled for January 2022, the council is inviting schools to get in touch if they are interested in being in the next tranche – email climate@bury.gov.uk.