Councils in call to cut killer pollution

COMMUNITIES ACROSS Yorkshire are being urged to take action this week to cut killer air pollution.

In Leeds, one of five cities ordered by the Government to introduce a Clean Air Zone by 2020, residents are being urged to leave their cars at home and get on the bus or train or walk or cycle into work on Thursday – the UK’s first National Clean Air Day.

In North Yorkshire five junctions have been declared air quality management areas and the council is working with district councils and local people to find solutions specific to each site such as £300,000 to make changes to the Bond End junction in Knaresborough.

Residents are being encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport whenever possible instead of driving and discover side streets. Using quieter streets when on bike or on foot can lower your exposure to air pollution by 20 per cent.

Leeds City Council said around 40,000 deaths in the UK each year were attributable to air pollution, equating to around 350 deaths per year in Leeds.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for highways, said: “While only a small number of people live in the pollution hotspots, it is a big issue for them. We need to do everything we reasonably can to reduce traffic-related pollution.

“For the county council this can mean better traffic management, but drivers also have their part to play by driving less, using different routes or travelling at less congested times of day.”