City fights menace of ‘invisible killer’ in the air

Senior councillors have admitted that the need to tackle the poor air quality in York is among the greatest challenges that the city is facing.

A draft Low Emission Strategy (LES) was approved by councillors earlier this month and the city’s residents and businesses are being urged to give their views on the blueprint.

The draft strategy sets out a series of groundbreaking measures which could see buses barred from entering some of the worst air pollution blackspots.

Other proposals include a revolutionary freight interchange to prevent lorries heading into the city centre, with a fleet of electrically-powered vehicles employed to make deliveries and reduce congestion.

It is estimated that between 94 and 163 people die prematurely in York each year because of poor air quality.

It is about the same as the number of premature deaths from alcohol abuse, obesity and road accidents combined.

York Council’s cabinet member for city strategy, Coun Dave Merrett, said: “It is crucial that we take steps to tackle air pollution, which is one of the biggest challenges we are faced with.

“The problem is that many people are unaware of the pollution as it cannot be seen, but it is an invisible killer.

“We have got particular problems in York because we are an historic city with a highly congested and confined central roads network.

“The air pollution does not disperse and the congestion simply multiplies the emissions.”

The public consultation will run from today until May 18 and will be used to shape both the strategy and a new Air Quality Action Plan which is aimed at making York the UK’s first low emission city.

A questionnaire is on the council’s website and copies will also be available in the city’s libraries.

The Yorkshire Post revealed in December that senior politicians had warned a dramatic culture shift was needed to cut car use and tackle congestion in York.

York was last year named as the UK’s second-fastest growing city after Milton Keynes and its population has now broken the 200,000 mark, prompting fears that the transport infrastructure will not be able to cope.

The council is considering introducing a Low Emission Zone which would prevent the worst polluting vehicles being driven in air quality blackspots.

Similar zones have been introduced in Norwich, Oxford and London, and are a common measure in Europe to tackle pollution.

Other plans include encouraging the use of more environmentally-friendly vehicles and promoting York as a centre of excellence for low emission technologies by attracting new businesses and industries.

The main air pollutant in York is nitrogen dioxide which has been linked to lung diseases including asthma, bronchitis and emphysema as well as heart conditions and cancer.

There are currently Air Quality Management Areas in the city centre and in Fulford, with another to follow on Salisbury Terrace later this month.

The strategy is due to be adopted in September, and it will be followed by a more detailed Air Quality Action Plan to deliver the low emission measures.