Council and democracy

Beacon status for air quality
National annual beacon awards

Croydon Council has recently been awarded Beacon status for its work in dealing with air pollution. Croydon and the London Borough of Greenwich held a best practice workshop and Beacon open day in January 2008. This event drew to a close a busy year for the council promoting excellence through the Beacon scheme. However, the council will still be working hard to continue developing initiatives and policies to improve air quality.

What are these awards?

The Beacon Awards aim to promote excellence within town hall services countrywide and, as well as encouraging best practice, the scheme enables councils to share their ideas and learn from each other.

How has Croydon tackled air pollution?

We have developed new and innovative solutions to air pollution using all available skills and resources and these are making Croydon a better and healthier place for everyone. Our commitment to air quality issues stems from Croydon's Community Strategy, and is the foundation of our air quality policy.

Croydon leads the way and is a beacon to other authorities in a number of ways. Croydon was:

• the first council to set up the pioneering airTEXT service. This is designed to support people who are badly affected by air pollution and provides air quality alerts and health advice on how to manage symptoms.
• first to implement regular idling vehicles enforcement patrols to help improve the local air quality.
• second to publish an Air Quality Action Plan of measures to improve air quality throughout the borough.
• fourth to declare an Air Quality Management Area, in October 2000.
• a pioneer of using the latest technology by purchasing a hydrogen fuel cell to generate power.

We have used our community leadership role to increase the profile of air pollution and raise awareness within local communities and have made sure we included local people in air quality policy development.

Being a Beacon council is also about sharing knowledge and experiences with others and inspiring them to improve. Over the coming months the council will be undertaking a dissemination program to share its excellent practices with other authorities.
 
These would include:

• working with government departments to champion policy in this area
• producing a range of case studies
• organising a best practice workshop in January.

Program of events

'Delivering Cleaner Air in London' best practice workshop and Beacon open day (January 2008)

Croydon and Greenwich councils organised a best practice workshop in January 2008 that was hosted by the Greater London Authority. Presentations from the day will be available to download shortly from this web page.

'Delivering Cleaner Air' Learning Exchange Day (September 2007)

Croydon participated in a Learning Exchange Day with the three other Beacon award winners providing a number of workshops on case studies. These included:

• transport and associated air quality issues
• social marketing
• using planning control and planning agreements to deliver cleaner air
• airTEXT.

If you would like further information about any of the projects detailed above please contact Linda Johnson using the contact details below.

Contact Details

Contact name

Linda Johnson

Job title

Scientific Officer

Department

Specialist Pollution

Telephone

020 8760 5483

Fax

020 8760 5786

Email

linda.johnson@croydon.gov.uk

Address

Specialist Pollution Team
9th Floor NE
Taberner House
Park Lane
Croydon
CR9 3BT