South performing worse in tackling air pollution

Centre for Cities’ annual study of the UK’s major urban areas has found that more than one in 19 deaths in UK cities and large towns are related to long-term exposure to air pollution.

The Cities Outlook 2020 claims that air pollution-related deaths are 25 times higher than the national rate of deaths from traffic accidents, with Centre for Cities urging politicians must invest more in clean air plans and charge car usage in polluted cities.

The proportion of deaths related to the deadly toxin PM2.5 is highest in cities and large towns in south eastern England such as Slough, Luton and London, where an estimated one in 16 people die from exposure. Meanwhile cities in Scotland and northern England see the smallest proportion of PM2.5-related deaths. Aberdeen is the city with the lowest proportion, at one in 33.

Furthermore, some 62 per cent of roads monitored in UK cities also exceed WHO guidelines for PM2.5. In 19 cities, ranging from Southampton to Northampton, all monitored roads are currently breaching the WHO guideline potentially exposing 14 million people to the pollutant on a daily basis. If WHO’s guidelines were enshrined in law across the UK every single monitored road in 19 cities and large towns in England would breach legal limits.

Half of local authority leaders polled by Centre for Cities highlighted the environment as a major concern, but progress has been slow and they must do more to prevent more avoidable deaths from air pollution. The most polluted cities should: introduce Ultra Low Emission Zones to charge car and van drivers in city centres and ban the use of wood burning stoves and coal fires in areas where air pollution exceeds guidelines.

The government should also triple the size of the Clean Air Fund to £660 million to help cities fight air pollution and provide financial incentives for cities to improve air quality through the establishment of an Environmental Impact Bond.

Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “More than half of people in the UK live in cities and large towns. And while they offer people good employment and lifestyle opportunities Cities Outlook 2020 shows that they also having a damaging effect on their health, with air pollution killing thousands of people living in cities every year.

“Politicians often talk tough on addressing air pollution but we need to see more action. Cities should be at the centre of the fight against toxic air and councils should take the steps needed, including charging people to drive in city centres and banning wood burning stoves. To help the government needs to provide extra money and introduce stricter guidelines. The deadly levels of polluted air we’re breathing are legal across most of the UK. This needs to change. As a matter of urgency the government should adopt WHO’s stricter guidelines around PM2.5 emissions. Failure to act now will lead to more deaths.”

David Renard, the Local Government Association’s transport spokesman, said: “These disturbing findings show we face an air pollution emergency and reinforce the critical need for councils to be able to build on the key role they are playing in tackling air pollution. Councils want to work with the government to reduce the impact of harmful emissions on the health of our communities, but for air quality plans to be successful, they need to be underpinned by local flexibility and sufficient funding, while issues around resourcing and capacity also need to be addressed.

“Local powers are also needed to further tackle air pollution, particularly with regard to moving traffic offences and robust national action to help the country transition to lower emission travel, including cycling and walking and an effective national bus strategy.”