New website will raise awareness of air pollution in Oxford

Residents in Oxford are being asked to help shape a new air quality community website. 

In March 2021, Oxford City Council was awarded £162,500 to develop a new air quality community website to help raise awareness of air pollution across the county. 

Residents are now being asked to take part in a consultation and to share their views on what information they want to see on the website. 

The consultation is asking residents for their thoughts on how they currently engage with air quality-related messages, as well as their views on the website.

The information presented on the website will span a wide range of air quality subjects and will be tailored to and for different age groups and levels of expertise. It will cover things such as detail on specific types of air pollutants, the different air pollution levels in each area, and regular news about air quality projects across the county.

This consultation aims to identify the key issues and best ways to present this information, which can at times be complex.

Cllr Tom Hayes said: ‘We know that air pollution is a concern for many residents across the city and many struggle to find one source for information across the County.

‘We hope to combine all the information into one, easy to access website that highlights the work of all the Councils across Oxfordshire. We want to find out what residents want to see on this website. I encourage anyone who is interested in this topic to have their say on our consultation portal.’

In related news, in July this year, Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) pilot was been delayed following ‘technical issues.’

Photo by Hannah Petersen