The Government has awarded £2m of air quality grants to dozens of councils in England, as part of efforts to support the investigation of Low Emission Zones and help create guidance for reducing local pollution levels.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said the money would support those authorities which demonstrated innovative plans to tackle air pollution in towns and cities.
In total, 36 councils received funding, which will support 42 projects across the country. DEFRA is looking to publish new guidance in the future to aid authorities looking to improve local air quality and decrease emissions.
The councils that received funding are required to provide the department with a progress report by Autumn 2013 so the effectiveness of such interventions can be assessed. Ministers want councils to detail the success of each project and show exactly how the money was spent.
Some projects are still being assessed for the second round of funding, which DEFRA will announce shortly.
Environment minister Lord de Mauley said: 'Air quality has improved significantly in recent years; however, we need to keep striving to improve the air we breathe. This £2m air quality grant will help local communities take matters into their own hands. Without this money, many innovative projects would never see the light of day.
'In previous years, similar grants have been used very creatively to address air pollution. This is exactly the type of action that should be encouraged and I'm looking forward to reviewing the success of the projects this time next year.'
