North West demands government money to tackle air pollution

Authorities across the North West are demanding the Government commits to vital funding so they can get on with plans to tackle air pollution.

The plea is being made as MPs debate the new Environment Bill in Parliament later.

It's claimed polluted air contributes to the equivalent of 1,200 early deaths a year in Greater Manchester alone.

Credit: PA

In 2019, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) submitted its Clean Air Plan outline business case to government which included:

1. The largest proposed Clean Air Zone in the UK.

2. A significant funding package for businesses to upgrade their fleets to cleaner vehicles.

3. A bid to treble the size of the region’s electric vehicle public charging network.

But they claim that nearly a year later, the government still has not confirmed the financial support that will be available to help businesses upgrade their vehicles.