Are You Living in a Polluted Area?
Do you ever wonder about the air pollution on your street and around your home? We all know that air pollution can impact our health so it’s not a surprise that home owners and prospective buyers are becoming increasingly interested in the air quality that surrounds a property.
Air pollution level info for prospective buyers
In fact, accessing information on air pollution levels is fast becoming a part of the conveyancing process, an addition to environmental reports that have traditionally given information on flooding, contamination and land stability risks. Future Climate Info (FCI) are the first of the many environmental survey companies in the UK to offer information on air pollution levels as standard and free of charge.
FCI are using a nationwide map of air pollution created by the air quality measuring specialist EarthSense to give specific ratings for individual properties, ranging from a ‘generally clean environment’ to a ‘polluted environment with major implications for human health’ and ranking areas from 0 – 6 on a sliding scale. A rating of 3 or above means an area is likely to see pollution levels exceed annual legal limits and cause major health implications.
Impacts of air pollution
Studies have shown that air pollution is a major contributor to health conditions such as strokes, heart disease and can even worsen anxiety and cause memory loss. Children are also vulnerable to high levels of pollution and so families as well as those with existing health conditions or vulnerabilities may be particularly interested to learn more about the air pollution in their area.
Those who live by the coast or, unsurprisingly, in open, rural areas can breathe easy, as these types of properties will have the cleanest air environments. The three main air-quality pollutant emissions are carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter, which will be found in the largest quantities in more built up areas and inner cities.
Air pollution in Scotland
London is one of the highest ranking places for air pollution in Europe. In Scotland we are luckier in terms of having a big proportion of open rural areas, however our cities also rank highly for air contamination. It is worth remembering that a residential street will have a much lower rating than the busy city centre for most cities and larger towns, with traffic volume one of the main air pollutant culprits. For example, the average rating for Glasgow according to EarthSense is 2 out of 6, with certain residential areas sitting below this. Check out the EarthSense postcode checker for a quick rating on the air pollution on your street.
Consideration for home buyers
With FCI’s analysis suggesting that 3 per cent of property transactions in 2017 in England and Wales where in areas which had pollution levels of 3 and above, it may well pay to be vigilant on how your area ranks, particularly when house hunting. Air quality levels may well become as important to home buyers as commuter links and good schools, as this information becomes more available during the conveyancing process and we understand more about the long-term impacts on our health.
Vanilla Square – highly personal sales and lettings! Whether selling or letting property, you will always be liaising with one of our business partners, which makes our service that much more responsible and approachable. When you instruct us, your property will reach a wider audience as we are one of the few agents who are present on all the major property portals to offer sellers and landlords maximum exposure. If you’re looking to buy, sell, rent or lease your property, or you’re simply considering the idea, contact us by calling 0141 229 0210 or pop into our new office at 711 Great Western Road. One of our partners will be delighted to help and provide you with impartial, expert advice.
