Kenilworth hosted its first Clean Air Day event on Sunday 16 June.
The event was joint initiative between Kenilworth Town Council’s Cycling Delivery and Climate Emergency Groups and WDC Climate Change and Pollution teams, with support from Clean Air Warwickshire, Warwickshire County Council Safe & Active travel team and the Warwick District Bicycle Mayor, Simon Storey. A contractor provided traffic management and stalls.
The event raised awareness of air quality as a health issue and an environmental issue, and promoted active travel in and around Kenilworth where possible – to reduce congestion, improve air quality and improve health and well-being. The organisers aimed to be as inclusive and sustainable as possible, avoiding single use plastic and other unnecessary waste.
The initiative furthers the aims of WCC’s recently adopted Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). It also implements national policy on active travel – ‘Gear Change’ which aims for 50% of all journeys in towns and cities to be made by active travel by 2030.
There were food stalls, a repair cafe, Dr Bike, Bike Register. You could try out adapted bikes from Mencap, folding bikes from Brompton Bicycle | B Corp™ and kids bikes from Kidvelo Bikes UK (and even make a smoothie on a bike). Live music was powered by bikes, and Cycle Infinity CIC held a cycle skills zone.
From 11am-1pm a 1-mile loop of nearby residential roads was closed to create a traffic-free loop for the community to walk, wheel, cycle and ‘play out’ freely together along a short stretch of road without cars – to clean up air and get moving!
The official Clean Air Day takes place on 20 June 2024