Local children are being asked to design some new road signs asking drivers to switch off their engines while waiting outside schools.
Green Party councillor Paul Neale has obtained funding from Norfolk County Council to install signage near the three schools in Nelson ward: Avenue Junior School, Recreation Road Infant School and Parkside School.
Councillor Neale said:
“Thanks to the three schools for supporting new signage. It’s vital that children can walk to and from school safely, and that includes not having to breathe polluted air. Statistically, an engine idling for sixty seconds fills 60 pairs of adult lungs, so the effect on children who have smaller lungs and are more vulnerable, is far worse.
“A resident living near the schools made the suggestion to have new signs and as local councillors, we promised to follow up on it.
“As a county councillor, I can choose how a small budget is spent to improve traffic issues in my ward. I want to use it to clean up the air outside our schools, as sadly, the exposure of children to air pollution is associated with a lack of alertness and concentration, as well as bronchitis, stunted lung development, and an increased risk of long-term conditions including asthma and other respiratory diseases.
“I am working with the road safety team who are interested to see if this idea can be rolled out further across Norfolk, so I’m really looking forward to getting some great pictures from children to choose from. I hope it will make motorists think twice and turn off their engines. It’s ideal if children can walk to school but if not possible, the less pollution from the school run, the better.”
All children are invited to enter the competition. Entries should be strong, bold pictures, A4 size, without shading, using only black, white, red and yellow, and including the words ‘No idling: keep our air clean’. Pictures can be sent as emails to paul.neale.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk by Tuesday 15th February. Please include an email address, telephone number and child’s name and age. Several designs will be chosen for use in the area and runners up will be featured on social media.
Councillor Neale added:
“A report by the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research shows that children are more vulnerable to exposure than adults due to their incomplete lung development, low breathing height and high physical activity and breathing rates. In the UK, more than 2,000 schools and nurseries are near roads with high levels of air pollution, including toxic pollutants such as particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5). The UK also has a higher prevalence of childhood asthma than any other European country. The use of cars to take and collect children to and from school intensifies
pollution hotspots in and around school premises. In England, car use for school journeys has doubled over the past two decades, and as many as 1 in 4 cars on the road at morning peak times are taking children to school. Child exposure may be unnecessarily increased by engine idling (stationary vehicles with engines running) and vehicle acceleration -deceleration, both in and near school premises, during drop-off and pick-up hours.”
Further information from: Councillor Paul Neale 07906 633624 paul.neale@cllr@norfolk.gov.uk
Notes:
Attached is an entry into the competition by Will, aged eight.
Norwich Green Party has ten councillors on Norwich City Council, where it forms the main opposition party, and three on Norfolk County Council, representing the wards of Mancroft, Nelson and Thorpe Hamlet in Norwich.
