Air quality and what you can do

Poor air quality can affect all areas of our lives, including our health, the buildings we live and work in, and our surrounding environment.

Those most at risk from poor air quality are the young, the elderly and those with a pre-existing lung or heart condition.

We are working to reduce air pollution by encouraging cleaner ways to travel, reducing the impact of new developments at the planning stage, investigating complaints of air pollution, and regulating Permitted Processes.

However, there are also many simple actions that can be taken by individual members of the public to help improve air quality, such as:

Transport

Daily Air Quality Index

See Air Pollution on the Met Office website they offer a Daily Air Quality Index, which you can use to find out the predicted air quality in any area.

View Air Quality Index from our live monitors in Castlegate, Penrith.

If you wish to take an active role in improving air quality within this district there are the following local action groups:

Homes

In 2019, both CAfS and PACT worked with a number of villages in the district and have given presentations to Councillors at Full Council.

We are working with CAfS on Warm Homes Eden scheme. The scheme aims to help people who find it difficult to heat their homes and who meet certain requirements.

See Cold to Cosy on the CAfS website if you’re struggling with high heating bills or a cold home, take advantage of CAfS Cold to Cosy Homes service, which is free for all eligible Cumbrian households.

Warm Homes Eden offers a range of support from energy efficiency advice, making homes warmer, access to draught proofing, through to accessing a benefit entitlement review and assessment of an inefficient heating system.

They also give energy efficiency advice to village halls and community venues across the district.

Last updated: Wednesday, 24 April, 2024.