People living in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, can now sign up for direct alerts about air quality in their local area through a new service launched in January 2026.
The national UK‑Air platform, run by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), has added a feature that sends updates by email or RSS. Residents can use the service to enter their postcode and receive more granular hourly or daily readings for the Newcastle‑Gateshead area rather than broader regional averages for the North East.
The tool focuses on the Newcastle‑Gateshead Clean Air Zone (CAZ), which covers the town centre and crossings including the Tyne Bridge and Redheugh Bridge. The Breathe Clean Air partnership, which manages the CAZ, says the feed is intended to help people with health conditions make informed choices about when to travel.
Gateshead Council operates an ongoing air quality monitoring network; the CAZ moved to full enforcement for vans on 17 July 2023. While overall NO2 in the Tyneside area fell by about 9% in 2024–25, officials say some busy locations near the town centre still require careful monitoring.
Residents can visit the UK‑Air website to subscribe to zone‑level updates. Cllr John McElroy, Cabinet member for Environment and Transport at Gateshead Council, said the council’s goal is to make the air safer for everyone, especially children and older people who are at greater risk from poor air quality.
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