To help the school children and residents of Brent reduce local air pollution and breathe cleaner air, Brent Council have created the Breathe Clean Brent interactive map. 

The interactive map provides schools with carefully designed walking routes to school while also providing communities with healthier walking loops. Keep reading to find out more! 

Healthier walking routes for schools — further information

To help children in Brent walk to school along healthier and safer streets, search for your school on the interactive map and find example healthier walking routes to/ from school!

Try and link up to one of the healthier walking routes and, where possible, always look for quieter streets, avoiding busy roads with high pollution. To keep safe, look for marked crossing points such as, a light signalised crossing, a zebra crossing, or an island crossing.

If there are no marked crossings, here are some key principles to follow to stay safe. 

• Make sure you can clearly see in both directions.
• Make yourself visible to traffic.
• Don’t stand near parked or stationary cars where you need to cross the road as this keeps you hidden from traffic. 

And don’t forget to use the Green Cross Code!

Community Walking Loop

Discover your community walking loop, a thoughtfully designed route that connects you to green spaces, parks, and key sites like stations and high streets in your area. This loop follows quieter roads and less-polluted streets, offering a refreshing and healthier way to navigate your neighbourhood.

Whether you are commuting, running errands, or just out for a walk, this loop offers an alternative, guiding you through quieter roads and less-polluted streets for a healthier and more enjoyable journey.

Understanding Air Pollution

Air pollution is any harmful substance in the air that affects our health and the environment. There are two primary types of pollution to be aware of:

• Polluting Gases: These include harmful gases like Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), which can irritate our respiratory system.
• Particulates: Tiny particles such as soot, rubber, smoke, and plastic that are released into the air. These particulates can enter our lungs and bloodstream, posing serious health risks.

Breathing in polluted air can damage our bodies, impacting our lungs, heart, and brain. It can worsen conditions like asthma, make breathing more difficult, cause headaches and increase our heart rate.

Cars are the main source of air pollution in London, emitting harmful gases from their exhausts and producing particulate pollution from their tyres, brakes, and contact with the road. This makes it crucial to reduce using our cars and increase walking, cycling, scooting, wheeling, or using public transport, if possible.