Executive summary
Hart District Council's Air Quality Strategy 2026–2031 sets out how we as an organisation plan to improve the quality of the air that we breathe and help protect the health of those living and working within Hart.
Exposure to poor air quality is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, reduced quality of life, and premature death. These impacts also place a significant cost on society through increased healthcare needs, absence and reduced economic productivity.
Recognising the well-established links between air pollution and human health, the Council is committed to improving local air quality and reducing harmful emissions.
This strategy highlights the ways that we will actively seek to improve air quality. This includes education, monitoring, the policies we promote or those actions that we can all take.
Air quality in Hart
Hart District Council monitors nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) at 13 locations across the district. For the past five years, all monitored sites have been well below the national annual limit of 40µg/m³, and levels continue to fall.
Ongoing actions to improve air quality
Air quality in Hart has improved in recent years, and the Council continues to take steps to protect and enhance it. These include:
- Installing more electric vehicle charging points to support low‑ and zero‑emission travel
- Replacing council vehicles with electric options as part of our aim to reach net zero emissions by 2035
- Ensuring new developments and transport plans consider and protect local air quality
- Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) - LCWIPs identify cycling and walking infrastructure improvements at a local level and provide a long-term plan for developing local cycling and walking networks with the aim of promoting a shift away from private cars towards active travel
- The Council's Climate Change action plan 2025 to 2029 - the action plan contains a range of measures grouped under key themes: Buildings, Energy, Transport, Communications and Reporting, and District-wide actions.
- Active engagement in delivery of the Warm Homes Local Grant fund for residential retrofit using the thermal imaging scheme.
We also continue to monitor air quality across the district and regulate industrial activities that could affect the atmosphere through environmental permitting.
How you can help
Everyone can play a part in keeping Hart’s air clean. Residents and businesses can help by:
- Domestic burning: Sourcing cleaner fuels. Avoid burning treated wood or household waste, as these release harmful pollutants
- Home heating: Keep homes well-insulated and energy‑efficient to reduce the need for heating
- Travel: Reducing unnecessary journeys. Turn off your engine when parked or waiting, and consider walking, cycling or using public transport where possible
- Buildings: Reducing energy consumption, and sourcing cleaner suppliers. Making the move to green energy.
- Businesses: Developing travel plans. Reducing waste. Improving plant emissions and using cleaner technologies
Together, these actions support cleaner air, healthier communities and a more sustainable future for Hart.