Urgent Government action is needed to avert the UK’s air quality crisis, including the introduction of clean air zones in towns and cities, a diesel scrappage scheme and steps to tackle farming emissions, according to a major new report from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA).
In its Air Quality report, released on 27 April, EFRA – which acts as a policy watchdog for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) – claims that more action must be taken to cut the health and environmental impacts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, in order to prevent up to 50,000 people dying early from air pollution-related illnesses.
The report specifically calls on the Government to devolve greater flexibility to all local authorities on use of development and traffic movement powers to tackle car pollution both in and out of clean air zones.
EFRA chair and Conservative Party MP Neil Parish said: “Only five cities – Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton – will have new powers to charge polluting vehicles to enter new clean air zones. Councils in the dozens of other English cities currently exceeding EU pollution limits must also be given the option of using such powers if their communities support action.
“The zones need to deliver local solutions to local problems. DEFRA’s proposed ‘one-size-fits-all’ clean air zones will set rigid rules on cities as diverse as Southampton and Leeds. Communities must be given legal powers to set controls that meet their own circumstances—for example, some might want to charge polluting vehicles to access zones at certain times of day or to target specific bus routes.”
Agricultural emissions
EFRA is also urging the Government to create a reasonable incentive for people to purchase more expensive low-emission vehicles to offset the high levels of pollution caused by diesel vehicles. The Air Quality report recommends the introduction of a diesel scrappage scheme aimed at cars at least 10 years old should come into effect at the next Budget.
