High Halstow Community Site

Have your say on Medway’s air quality

Medway Council is asking residents what they think about the air quality in Medway. Do you think it’s good? Or does it affect you or your family and if so, what could be done to improve it?

Your views will help us highlight ways we can all use to improve Medway’s air quality.  Complete our air quality online survey @ airqualitysurvey. The survey takes 5 minutes to finish and as a thank you for completing the survey, all respondents will be entered into a draw to win one of two £25 love2shop vouchers. 

All your answers will be confidential and any names and email addresses provided as part of the draw or for requesting further information, will be separated from the survey answers.

Engagement days

Alternatively, come and tell us what you think (your comments will be confidential). On Thursday, 16 November we will be at the following libraries:

Rainham Library 9am – 10am

Chatham Library 10.30am – 11.30am

Strood Library 12.30pm – 2.30pm

Hoo Library 3pm – 4pm

Air quality – the background

Clean air is important for our health and for the environment. Urban air pollution has a long history and in the past has generally been caused by industrial and domestic sources. Today, the biggest source of air pollution in the UK is from road traffic and this is the case in Medway.
The assessment of local air quality has shown that in Medway levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) are above the health-based objectives set out by the Government. Therefore, Medway Council declared three Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) in 2010:

• Central Medway;
• High Street, Rainham;
• Pier Road, Gillingham.

Medway has published its proposed measures to improve local air quality.

The Air Quality Action Plan outlines a number of measures aimed at improving local air quality by reducing levels of nitrogen dioxide to acceptable levels.

These are:

• Promoting cycling and walking;
• Promotion of car sharing;
• Encouraging greater use of public transport;
• Improving freight movement;
• Traffic management schemes;
• Development planning;
• Promotion of health awareness and air quality issues;
• Procurement of low emission vehicles;
• Travel planning to reduce the number of journeys;
• Improving emissions from vehicles.

 The Air Quality Action was formally adopted by Cabinet on 15 December 2015.

Article from Medway Council