Councillors have welcomed the news that Bedford Borough Council’s Sustainable Transport team has commissioned a theatre company to help teach children about air pollution at schools across the Borough
Using DEFRA’s Air Quality Grant 2020-21, the professional theatre company will visit ten schools to perform a live show about air pollution, which investigates the causes and concerns of air quality and promotes safe, sustainable travel.
Students in Years 5 and 6 at four schools from Bedford’s Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and six schools outside the AQMA have been chosen because of the good progress they have shown in promoting active travel to their students and parents.
Cllr Charles Royden (Lib Dems, Brickhill), Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: “Air quality is good in Bedford Borough and we want to continue to educate children and young people about what they can do to continue to drive down air pollution and carbon emissions locally.
“Young people in Year 5 and 6 are at an important time in their lives where they begin to travel more independently, so we’re keen to help them understand air quality and sustainability.”
While Green and Conservative opposition councillors have welcomed the initiative they say more still needs to be done to tackle air quality in Bedford.
Cllr Lucy Bywater (Green, Castle ward), who initiated the first no idling signs for outside schools back in 2019, said: “Bedford does suffer from air pollution, largely from vehicles. It’s an environmental and public health crisis.
“So, it’s vital to engage children and young people, not only as air pollutants are more harmful to their own health compared to most adults but because they can really influence their parents in helpful ways such as persuading them to walk or cycle, to use the car as little as possible and if they have to drive, to not let their engine idle.
“This work is also making science really relatable in ways that improve the local environment and help children understand what’s around them – lichen being so sensitive to air quality for example.
“I’d love to see this work made available to every school, and for outcomes to be measured in terms of increased active travel and ending engine idling”.
Cllr Tom Wootton the Conservative mayoral candidate (Wyboston Ward) agreed, “…it is important that we raise awareness of and educate our youngsters on how they can take active steps to drive down emissions and improve air quality.
“While this initiative is welcome, the council must do more to tackle air quality in our town which can have a devastating impact on our health and environment.”
In his statement to the media, Cllr Wootton cited studies which have found high levels of nitrogen dioxide in parts of Bedford where traffic builds up heavily.
“The levels exceeded annual air quality objectives. The borough must do more to tackle traffic queues that add to pollution.
“Air quality is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right,” he said.
The Sustainable Transport team has also been visiting the chosen schools and running awareness campaigns, educating the children about how to reduce engine idling (turning engines off), improve air quality around their school, and how to spot lichen.
The lichen lessons involve taking pupils on a walk outside of school to discover different types of lichen and its relationship to air pollution.
The show will offer pupils practical advice and information about how they can make a positive impact on both their local environment and their health by helping to improve air quality.
If you represent a school or have a child of school age, you can speak to the Council’s Sustainable Transport team about them visiting your school by emailing sustainable.transport@bedford.gov.uk.
