No improvement in number of areas failing on toxic air, figures show

The UK’s air pollution has been labelled a “national embarrassment” after new figures showed no improvement in the number of areas failing on air quality.

The latest figures, for 2017, show that 37 out of 43 air quality zones across the UK still had illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution, the same number as the previous year.

Annual average levels of the pollutant have fallen in most places, the figures from the Government and analysed by ClientEarth reveal.

But it is still more than double the legal limit in Greater London and also well over the limit in areas including South Wales, West Midlands, Glasgow and Greater Manchester.

Brighton, Worthing and Littlehampton, an area declared as legal in the previous year, crept up to just below the threshold again, the statistics show.

The environmental law charity, which has won three cases against ministers over the UK’s illegal air pollution, said the figures showed the Government’s failing strategy on the issue.

James Thornton, ClientEarth chief executive, said: “Each year when these statistics are released we hope for an improvement, we hope they will show fewer people’s lives are being blighted by air pollution and every year we get the same story.

“This is a national embarrassment.

“The Government’s response, to dump the problem on local authorities who do not have the resources to deal with the issue, is not helping.

“We need bold, national leadership, UK-wide policies like a national network of clean air zones and a diesel scrappage scheme to help people move away from the most polluting cars and vans.”

He added: “Our legal cases have pushed the Government from a position of denying there’s a problem to one of seeking solutions and calling the act of tackling air pollution a priority.

“Ministers need to prove this with their actions to hep the many people across the country suffering from breathing dirty air on a daily basis.”

The UK has been breaching EU pollution limits for nitrogen dioxide, much of which comes from diesel vehicles, since the rules came into effect in 2010.

Air pollution causes an estimated 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK and is linked to health problems from childhood illnesses to heart disease and even dementia.

ClientEarth is calling for new legislation after Brexit to set strong standards for air pollution and to include a watchdog with legal powers to hold the Government to account.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokeswoman said:  “Air quality has improved significantly in recent years – nitrogen oxide emissions have fallen by 27% since 2010 and the latest statistics show we are closer to compliance than we were in 2016, significantly closer in some cases, in 36 of the 37 non-compliant zones.

“But we know there is still more to do why we are taking comprehensive action through our £3.5 billion plan to reduce harmful emissions and by ending the sale of conventional new diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040, we are acting faster to than almost every other major developed economy.”