Pupils at Ernesettle Community School and Mary Dean’s Primary School have come out top in a competition to design a banner for Plymouth City Council’s new ‘Engines Off for Clean Air’ campaign.
The citywide competition was held before the summer holiday to help raise awareness about air quality around schools and encourage drivers to switch off their engines while waiting nearby.
The two winning entries have been incorporated into one banner design, unveiled today by Councillor Jonathan Drean, Cabinet Member for Transport and Councillor Maddi Bridgeman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene.
Banners will be displayed across the city by schools supporting the campaign, which aims to tackle the issue of engine idling and is one of the pledges in the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan.
Launching the campaign at both schools today, Councillor Drean said: “The best thing we can all do to improve air quality outside schools is to leave the car at home and walk, cycle or scoot to school. Fewer cars on the school run benefits the environment and makes the roads safer for everyone – and active travel is great for our health and fitness too.
“I’d like to congratulate the pupils at both Ernesettle Community School and Mary Dean’s Primary School on their eye catching design; I’m sure it will be very effective in encouraging those people who do have to drive to school to switch their engines off when waiting near the school gate.”
Councillor Bridgeman said: “Transport is the single biggest producer of carbon emissions and air pollution and most of this comes from vehicles on the road. In our current climate emergency we need to cut down on carbon emissions quickly and one effective way to do that is to consider whether we really need to drive for short journeys.
“However, we understand that not everybody can choose to travel actively and that’s where the Engines Off for Clean Air campaign comes in. We’re working together with local schools to campaign for cleaner air in their communities and are asking parents and carers who drive to school to switch their engines off while waiting.”
Schools across the city are now being encouraged to back the campaign to help tackle this important issue. They can find out more, including how to sign up and get their education and promotion pack, as well as view all the competition entries, at www.plymouth.gov.uk/enginesoff.
The Council has been working in partnership with the charity Sustrans since 2012, as part of the Plymotion programme, making it easier for people in schools across the city to walk and cycle. The Sustrans Bike It Plus project helps parents and children walk and cycle to school with a programme of practical and innovative events and the ‘Engines Off for Clean Air’ campaign was developed by Bike It Plus officers working as part of the Council’s Plymotion team.
Sarah Leeming, Interim Director for south of England at Sustrans said: “We are delighted to work with Plymouth City Council on this campaign. Air pollution is an issue people are becoming increasingly concerned about, especially around schools, with children and young people amongst the most affected.
“Our recent UK-wide YouGov survey revealed that 49 per cent of school children aged six to 15 are worried about air pollution near their school. A further 57 per cent of those surveyed described the environment around their school as having too many cars.
“It’s vital that we work together to make the streets and public spaces around our schools accessible to all and pleasant to be in, and stop them from being dominated by vehicles.
“I look forward to hearing the outcome of the campaign and wish this important programme every success.”
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