The village of Cynwyl Elfed in Carmarthenshire has launched a new air quality monitoring project to track pollution levels and promote cleaner, healthier air for residents and visitors. The initiative, which officially went live on November 1st, 2025, was funded entirely by local residents and marks a major step forward in the community’s commitment to environmental awareness and sustainability. Residents say they have had enough of the heavy lorries and bottlenecks belching out pollutants. They are calling for action from the Welsh Government and Carmarthenshire County Council.
Watch the traffic chaos in this small rural Carmarthenshire village.
Local resident Elizabeth Evans said: “It is not rocket science. We just need traffic management here so that traffic actually flows freely and we need hauliers to take alternative routes or limit them to certain times of the day. Children stand at the bus stop and breathe in this pollution every day. We can’t open our windows and surfaces get filthy with dust.”
A Community-Led Effort Linking to National Policy
The monitoring station, now operating in the centre of the village, will record air quality data continuously and share it publicly online. This information will not only be available to residents but will also feed into existing Welsh Government and Carmarthenshire County Council air quality systems, as well as global environmental data networks.
The project aims to provide valuable insights into pollution from vehicles, nearby building sites, and fires, helping guide local efforts to reduce emissions and improve public health. Future developments may include additional monitoring stations, particularly through a school-led educational project, to further engage young people in environmental science.
Daily Updates and Real-Time Data
Residents can view daily air quality updates directly by downloading the air visual app and on the project’s Facebook page
For those who want real-time readings, data from Cynwyl Elfed’s station is also available through the IQAir network.
• Visit: www.iqair.com
• Or download the IQAir Visual App on the App Store or Google Play
The app allows users to check live air quality information for Cynwyl Elfed and compare it with readings from other locations around Wales and the world.
Supporting Policy and Awareness
By integrating with national and international monitoring systems, the Cynwyl Elfed project will contribute to wider air quality policy development across Wales. The data will help local authorities and the Welsh Government make informed decisions on traffic management, community planning, and environmental health initiatives.
A Message from the Community
“This project shows what’s possible when residents come together with a shared purpose,” said Elizabeth Evans, a spokesperson for the Cynwyl Elfed community group. “We hope our efforts will not only keep our air cleaner but also inspire other Welsh communities to take similar action.”
“Residents are now empowered to monitor a multitude of pollutants including road traffic, dust from building sites, fires and other airbourne pollutants”, said organiser Angharad Evans.
Mrs Evans continued: “The whole community can see what is causing or contributing to health problems and hopefully prevent it and take action to tackle it.
“We have already produced a schools project and we are inviting the Deputy First Minister and a representative from Carmarthenshire County Council and the local parish council to come and see how it all works and hopefully lend their support to this project, which links in with a number of Welsh Government and county council policies for clean air and active travel.”
Download our draft school clean air project worksheets here
Simple measures to help.
- Don’t leave your vehicle running when picking up or dropping off at the school or in the village.
- Hauliers consider an alternate route when possible
- Install Traffic Flow System either end of the village with sensors detecting large vehicles activating lights for traffic to wait for the large oncoming vehicle to clear the village
- Supply residents with pollution busting plants
- Install speed cameras and traffic calming measures
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