A new initiative in Stafford will allow residents and visitors to monitor the town’s air quality. 

Stafford Borough Council has installed an air quality monitoring device at the Civic Centre as part of a trial. The new eco-post is the first of its kind in the country and has been developed by a locally based firm. 

With other areas of the country having to look at stricter measures to reduce air pollution – such as clean air zones where motorists can be charged – the council is keen to promote the town as a safe place for residents, shoppers and visitors, as well as potential businesses. 

The colour changing eco-post sits outside the Civic Centre reception using coloured LED lighting to indicate the current live air quality in the town. People can also download an app to keep up to date with its readings. 

The council does not have any ‘Air Quality Management Areas’ (AQMA). An AQMA is declared for an area where the local air quality is unlikely to meet the Government’s national objectives. You can see the borough’s air quality report. 

The free trial will run until January and if successful could be rolled out to other areas of the borough. The initiative comes on the back of the council’s strategy to help tackle climate change and promote a more sustainable borough. 

Already this year the local authority has appointed a full-time dedicated climate change officer and given the go-ahead for a new Local Nature Reserve in the heart of the county town - which will include the planting of dozens of trees as part of plans to remove carbon from the atmosphere. 

Councillor Jonathan Price, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “One of our top priorities is for a clean borough - and this includes the air that we breathe. We know our air quality is better than other areas of the country and we want to make sure people in the town and potential residents and businesses can see that for themselves. 

“It is great that this new monitor has been developed by a company based in the town and that they wanted us to be the first local authority to try it. We will look at the resulting data during the trial to investigate where, and how, we can make further improvements to air quality in Stafford, and potentially other areas of the borough.” 

To find out more about the sensor and where to download the app go to www.intecso.co.uk 

Press Release No 5818