Calls for air quality monitoring in Hailsham

The town council has agreed to request Wealden District Council undertakes the monitoring in the town, amid concerns about increasingly high levels of traffic pollution.

A motion concerning air pollution submitted by town councillor and former mayor Nigel Coltman was considered recently acknowledging the increasing health danger of poor air quality in Hailsham, especially to younger residents.

The town council has already agreed that if Wealden can’t help, it will approach the University of Sussex to see if it can provide a service.

Councillor Nigel Coltman said, “We are fully committed to and will strive to work with Wealden and East Sussex councils to improve the air quality in Hailsham and its environs.

“The request for suitable monitoring of air pollution levels in Hailsham is just an initial step in tackling this important environmental issue.

“High levels of pollutive particles in the air can cause a flare up of asthma to those susceptible to respiratory conditions, or symptoms such as coughing and difficulty breathing.

“A leading cause of air pollution is emissions from road traffic. Hailsham town centre is already affected by high levels of through traffic and the resultant impact on air quality in our town needs to be addressed and monitored further.

“The current predicament with air quality will likely be exacerbated by housing development in the future, hence the need for in-depth monitoring and the production of updated air quality assessments for Hailsham.”

The council says it also anticipates reviewing its environmental policy in the future and consider replacing its vehicle fleet with appropriate green vehicles as part of its contract renewal process.