Eastleigh residents can now breathe more easily
Air quality improvements seen along either side of the M3
Eastleigh residents can now breathe more easily – thanks to a considerable improvement in air quality in the Borough.
Fewer older vehicles on the road, cleaner emissions from newer vehicles and an increasing use of electric vehicles are being cited as among the reasons for the significant improvement in air quality along either side of a stretch of the M3.
Changing work patterns post the outbreak of Covid19 resulting in more people working from home and greater public awareness about the problems of air pollution are also believed to have played their part in the progress towards clean air for all.
Eastleigh Borough Council’s Pollution Control Manager, Andre Pires, said: “We welcome this important progress to moving towards clean air quality in the Borough.
“Poor air quality can have a devastating impact on people’s health, including children.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the help of Eastleigh residents and commuters to the Borough and the hard work of our Environmental team. I would like to extend my thanks to all who have actively contributed to our success in this area.
“There is still more to be done, but we are heading in the right direction to the eventual goal of making cleaner air for all a reality in the Borough.”
The Air Quality Management Area 2 (AQMA) was declared by the government along either side of the M3 between Junctions 12 and 14 in 2006.
However, between 2019 and 2024, the area had not exceeded national limits, and the Council is now revoking this AQMA as per the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) requirements to eliminate this AQMA along the stretch of motorway that runs through Eastleigh.
There has been a year-on-year decline in the concentration of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) during that five-year period.
Following the revocation of the AQMA, Eastleigh Borough Council will continue to monitor air quality in this area.
To find out more about air quality in Eastleigh and a further link to the data, please visit https://www.eastleigh.gov.uk/environment/environmental-health/pollution/air-quality/air-quality-monitoring