Council to launch air quality action plan in summer

An action plan to improve air quality in an area of East Sussex is set to be adopted from the summer as a public consultation into the project comes to a close.

Lewes District Council said improving air quality in its jurisdiction by 2029 was a "priority" and recently set out the five ways it hopes to achieve this.

The council said its Air Quality Action Plan aimed to deter people from driving private vehicles, promote transport alternatives, improve transport planning and infrastructure, provide increased public information, and improve traffic management.

Residents have until 17:00 BST on Friday to give their thoughts on the plans via an online survey.

A spokesperson for the council said that based on the feedback it had received so far, the action plan was expected to be put in place later this year.

"We are grateful to all those who have contributed to the consultation on the draft Air Quality Action Plan," they said.

"Improving air quality is a priority for the council and the proposals in the consultation are designed to achieve this key objective over the next four years."

Chief among the council's ambitions is a new cycle path which is estimated to cost between £1m and £10m, though according to the plan it has not yet secured funding.

The plan states: "Various route options have been considered over the years but it has not been possible to identify a satisfactory route."

The council said it would monitor progress each year in its Annual Status Reports and review the plan every five years.

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