CLEANER AIR CAMPAIGN 2026: how to take part

<<We've good news: the air we breathe in Newcastle has improved since we launched our Cleaner Air campaign, three years ago. But the gains that we all fought for are now under threat. And we still have far to go to achieve World Health Organisation minimum safe standards.

Our awareness-raising drive to win more improvements is underway from January 2026: by working together, we can succeed again in making life safer for Newcastle communities.>>

---BIG DEVELOPMENTS AREADY!--- read below, and pitch in to keep up the momentum!

Four months into our 2026 campaign, we're delighted that so much progress has been made by supporters, working in alliance with other climate-concerned organisations and campaigners. Let's all seize this opportunity and have our say.

Climate Action Newcastle's four Cleaner Air campaign 2026 priorities

• reduce the harm caused by woodstoves - our biggest ever poster campaign has raised awareness around the city and uncovered "woodstove regret" amongst people horrified to discover the health harms AFTER they pay to install. The timing was perfect; when the Government announced a consultation on tougher rules, we drew on all this detailed new information to say the proposals were far too weak. See our blog for info, pictures and our formal response to the Government and Newcastle Council's Air Quality Action Plan survey.

• speed up the arrival of clean modern e-bus services - we've uncovered little-known evidence about why Newcastle is behind the queue to replace dirty diesel buses, despite residents suffering serious health harms from some of the worst air pollution in our region and England. We're calling for action now by the Mayor and by Newcastle Council - read the details of our evidence here, why it matters and what we can all do about it!

  
  

• pioneer and promote speedy safe cycle routes to the city centre: cyclists are often deterred from regular commutes, shopping etc by failure to make cycle routes protected end-to end, leaving some sections at risk from vehicles, potholes and broken glass in gutters. Our Newcastle Air Quality Action Plan survey response (March 2026) encouraged greater positive publicity for those routes that are end-to-end. Publicising travel times and ease/security of parking facilities will help motivate behaviour change.

• reduce garden/allotment waste bonfires that pollute our local air: our Newcastle Air Quality Action Plan survey response (March 2026) urges the city's guidance for 60+ allotments to reduce reliance on burning and instead encourage alternatives to bonfires. Wood debris from pruning and safety work can be shredded for mulch, used for habitats or left to rot in areas less suitable for cultivation.

And you can inspire others to get involved in achieving cleaner air by passing on our "5 Ways to Cleaner Air" guide, with info on:

• greater awareness (among contacts, workmates, family) of easy steps that will make a big difference to the air we breathe

• lobbying of city, regional and national decision-makers to make the changes needed

• influence of local election candidates, to affect results in May 2026

Cleaner Air priority #1: SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT HARMS FROM WOOD-BURNING STOVES

92% of people burning wood in the UK already have another way to heat their home. Sadly, they often add wood-burning as an extra heat source (which is likely to cost more to run) without knowing the health harms and even fatal results that can result. Inadvertently, they put the health of their family, pets, neighbours and local wildlife at risk. Like others, they may well end up regretting the decision to install and leaving their stoves unused.

Wood burning is the most polluting way to heat your home. Even homes with newer “Ecodesign” wood burners are three times more polluted than those without stoves. Climate Action Newcastle supported #CleanAirNight 2026, to ensure that everyone can make informed decisions about how to heat their homes.

*** Read our background explainer blog here

*** Visit Clean Air Night  to find out more, and join the national conversation.

Cleaner Air priority #2:

DON'T LET NEWCASTLE BE BACK OF THE QUEUE FOR E-BUSES

The North East mayoral area is promised 100% zero emission buses by 2035. But it looks likely that progress in Newcastle will be much slower than neighbouring areas - despite the city's residents suffering the health harms from far worse air quality. Our research over the past six months has dug deeper into why this may be happening, why is matters and what we can do about it.

• Newcastle Council's own plans spell out why local residents are behind the queue for the modern e-buses that many other cities already enjoy: "Potential barriers to implementation are cost and the need for host infrastructure at the depot locations, such as charging points."

• E-bus rollout is being co-ordinated by the North East Mayor, but the North East Local Transport Plan: Delivering Green Transport (2025) makes no reference to ensuring suitable charging infrastructure for buses (although chargepoints for cars and vans are mentioned 22 times).

• Health and tackling air pollution are identified as key goals of the NE Local Transport Plan: "It is estimated that poor air quality is responsible for around 360 deaths each year in central Tyneside alone."

• However, there is no priority identified for e-bus rollout to Newcastle, despite old diesel buses being the biggest transport factor in the city's unhealthy air. Old-style diesel buses pump out harmful fine particulates (PM2.5) - so delays in replacement by e-buses means Newcastle's residents will continue to breathe unhealthy air for longer than most parts of the UK.

• E-buses transform travel, through greater reliability, additional benefits and more pleasant travel experience. This vital improvement helps tempt more people away from car use and gives more freedom - changes badly needed at a time when bus travel in the North East remains a third lower than 15 years ago.

These disadvantages are unacceptable for a city with poorer health and more polluted air than many other parts of the UK. Please lobby your local councillors, Nexus, the North East Mayor and local MPs to speed up e-bus replacements for old-style bus routes: we should be AHEAD of the rate of national bus modernisation, not behind!

Cleaner Air priority #3:

END-TO-END CYCLE LANES TO CITY CENTRE

Active travel using cycles and other wheels is a great way to improve air quality as well as boosting our health. But it needs safe end-to-end cycle lanes to achieve it. CAN partners with Ride for Their Lives , a campaign by healthcare workers, and we urge Newcastle City Council to commit to a target number of clearly labelled routes to Newcastle city centre, which:

• have no unsafe sections, where cyclists and vehicle routes merge

• flag up the length of time to travel end-to-end, to highlight the speed of wheel transport.

*** RFTL raises awareness of the connections between safe travel options, cleaner air and reducing the dangers of polluted air (for example, nearly 40,000 UK deaths a year are caused by the polluted air that we breathe, with many more adults and children afflicted with harmful conditions). The RFTL campaign is linked to cities around the world: map here.

Cleaner Air priority #4:

REDUCE WOOD BURNING BY ALLOTMENTS AND GARDENERS

Despite growing concern about the harms to neighbourhoods caused by burning wood in homes, our city continues to see bonfires as the main way for gardeners to remove wood arising from annual clearances, such as tree/hedge trimming.

Climate Action Newcastle has requested that advice given to the city's 61 allotments be updated, to provide clearer advice about the harms from wood burning and recommend alternatives, such as shredding for mulch, or reuse to create storage fencing and habitat areas where space permits.

LOOKBACK: CLEANER AIR CAMPAIGN 2023 LAUNCH, RESULTS OVER THREE YEARS

• The initial impact of the introduction of Newcastle's Clean Air Zone was a 9% reduction in nitrous dioxide (NO2) - see report here.

  Read about Climate Action Newcastle's Welcome Walk and its partnership work with other local campaigners and health organisations here.

5 WAYS TO CLEANER AIR - guide

There are many "invisible" ways our decisions lead to more pollution in the local air we breathe. Our Climate Action Newcastle guide helps you spot ways you can reduce your own impact - helping us all to enjoy healthier cleaner air!

Follow this link to find our "5 Ways to Cleaner Air" Guide