Glasgow council to increase air pollution monitoring around schools and hospitals

Air pollution monitoring around schools, hospitals and care homes is set to take place in Glasgow under council plans to carry out a major review of quality.

The measurement could help the city reach higher standards of cleaner air set out in World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

The idea is contained in the council’s statutory Air Quality Action Plan, which puts forward priorities for Glasgow to improve air quality up until 2029.

The plan said one of its priorities is to “undertake a comprehensive review of air quality monitoring in Glasgow with a focus around schools, hospitals, and care homes.”

Other actions include lowering emissions from council vehicles, delivering a local heat and energy efficiency strategy and supporting the expansion of new cycling and walking routes.

The draft Glasgow air quality action plan was presented to the council’s net zero and climate progress monitoring city policy committee yesterday (Tuesday).

A consultation is to take place on the draft plan.

A council official told the committee the “city centre is the only remaining area in which we are experiencing exceedances of the air quality objectives.”

He explained how local authorities with active air quality management areas must produce action plans in relation to reducing the level of pollutants.

Councillor Blair Anderson, Scottish Greens, mentioned how the majority of actions are related to transport and said the committee didn’t have control over those plans – which lie under the remit of other council meetings.

A council official said he will discuss the potential of the committee having an oversight of transport issues.

A council report presented to the committee said: “The draft Glasgow Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) update outlines the actions that Glasgow City Council will deliver between 2024 to 2029 to reduce concentrations of air pollutants and exposure to air pollution; thereby positively impacting on the health and quality of life of residents and visitors to the Glasgow area.”

It added: “Whilst the focus remains upon the city centre air quality management area (AQMA), which is currently the last AQMA not scheduled for revocation and where exceedances of the air quality objectives continue to be observed, this AQAP adopts a holistic and city-wide approach to reducing emissions and improving air quality across the Glasgow city council area.”