A FUNDING grant worth more than £300,000 has been awarded to Colchester Council to reduce air pollution across the city.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is awarding money to local authorities across the UK so they can fund active travel schemes which aim to improve air quality nationwide.

Colchester’s funding allocation amounts to £310,770, which will support the council’s Clear Air for Colchester project.

The council’s portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, Steph Nissen, emphasized the importance of the projects which the funding will unlock for the city.

She said: “This funding from DEFRA will enable the council to fund essential projects.

“Reducing pollution in Colchester is an essential part of our commitment to deliver a greener future for everyone in the city.”

The Labour councillor, who defected from the Green party in December last year, added the community will also have to contribute as part of the Clear Air for Colchester project.

She added: “Encouraging residents to play their part in reducing pollution is fundamental to the success of this project, and this money will allow us to reach more people than ever and make a real difference to air quality.”

Several initiatives are set to be funded by the £310,770 grant.

Active travel schemes, community engagement, and e-learning modules for businesses will be supported, along with the CAReless pollution campaign, which encourages drivers to switch off their engines when stationary.

The e-Cargo bike scheme, which was trialled in Colchester before Christmas, will also be a beneficiary of the grant.

Cycle lanes could be set for improvement, and the Cycle Colchester website is likely to undergo an overhaul.

According to the council website, certain parts of Colchester face particularly high levels of air pollution – Brook Street, East Hill, and parts of Mersea Road and Military Road are named as areas of the city where air pollution exceeds national and World Health Organisation guidelines.

The council’s website also includes a statistic which reads that one in 20 deaths in Colchester is linked to pollution.

The Clear Air for Colchester project was launched in 2019 following a three-month public consultation.