Oadby and Wigston Borough Council Installs Zephyr® Lite Air Quality Monitors to Capture Air Pollution Data

3rd November 2025

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council in Leicestershire has installed Zephyr® Lite air quality monitors from EarthSense at two primary schools in the borough - Parkland and Launde - to raise awareness of air pollution and the health issues it can cause.

Parkland Primary School in South Wigston and Launde Primary School in Oadby had the sensors installed over the summer holidays, and are now able to measure levels of PM10 and PM2.5 – two of the most dangerous air pollutants – in the areas surrounding their school.

The new air quality monitors from Leicester-based EarthSense, the UK’s leading manufacturer of air quality products, have been installed close to the schools and provide real-time air quality data (particularly measuring particulates PM10 and PM2.5). This will help the Council to raise awareness of air quality in schools, measure particulate concentrations in this area, plan campaigns around travel to school, and engage with schools and their pupils on low-cost projects to influence behaviour and promote other transport alternatives.

Pupils at both schools are learning how to read the sensors and why air quality is important, and are talking about ways they can improve air quality, such as looking at how they travel to and from school.

Zephyr® Lite is a lightweight, cost-effective version of EarthSense's Zephyr® air quality monitor, designed to provide essential air quality data with clear visual feedback via an integrated AQI LED band. It is ideal for simplified deployments, public visibility or projects with targeted pollutant needs. Zephyr® Lite offers reliable monitoring with reduced complexity.

Laude School, Oadby

Parkland Primary, Wigston

Mayor of Oadby & Wigston, Cllr Jasvir Chohan said: “Parkland Primary School and Launde Primary School were chosen for this project as we have data which shows they are both located in areas with poor air quality compared to other parts of the borough.

“Of course, the problem is far wider than school traffic alone, but by introducing the topic to children we can spark conversations and get the whole family talking about steps they can take to make a difference, whether that be walking to school, ditching the car for shorter journeys or exploring public transport options.

“Air pollution has very real and measurable consequences on people’s health, and it is so important that we introduce this topic to our young people so we can all do our bit to build a greener future.”

Tom Hall, Chief Executive Officer at EarthSense, added: “We’re proud to be working alongside one of our local councils and to have the opportunity to utilise our new Zephyr® Lite sensors at the primary schools. This will help the Council to empower its school communities towards clearer air initiatives through education, visibility and accessible air quality data.”

CONTACTS:  

Reader enquiries: EarthSense, info@earthsense.co.uk, +44 (0) 116 225 4678  

Editorial enquiries: Simon Gribbon, earthsense@sandstarcomms.com, +44 7990 583371

About EarthSense:

EarthSense specialises in environmental monitoring and modelling of air pollution data to enable both public and private sectors to visualise and manage air quality challenges. With a global presence, the company empowers sectors such as sustainability, smart transport, built environment and urban & green infrastructure to integrate air quality insights into strategic decision making.

EarthSense provides detailed, actionable environmental information, through its leading air quality platform MyAir®, bespoke data modelling powered by its purpose-built MappAir® model and its iMCERTS-certified award-winning Zephyr® air quality monitors. Drawing on 15 years of academic research, the company has received several accolades including the Innovation Award by The Queen’s Award for Enterprise and ‘Design Team of the Year’ at the British Engineering Excellence Awards, and has achieved ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001 and ISO27001 certifications demonstrating a commitment to quality and robust processes.

Learn more at: www.earthsense.co.uk