Mayor Khan launches consultation on ULEZ expansion
23/05/2022 A consultation on plans to expand the ULEZ to cover most of London has been launched as part of the effort to improve air quality and reduce congestion. |
Road-pricing system fairer than fuel tax
16/05/2022 Charging motorists a levy based on the miles they drive would be fairer than taxing fuel and could address the cost of living crisis, think tank says. |
Newcastle and Gateshead clean air zone postponed
13/05/2022 Plans to introduce a clean air zone (CAZ) in Newcastle and Gateshead are to be postponed to allow more time for people and businesses to get ready. |
Nearly all UK addresses breach air pollution limits
29/04/2022 Around 97% of all UK addresses breach at least one World Health Organisation (WHO) limit for toxic pollutants, shocking new report reveals. |
Newcastle had highest NO2 levels across Europe last month
19/04/2022 Newcastle upon Tyne had the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide levels last month out of all major cities across Europe, according to a new study. |
Air quality consultations launched
29/03/2022 The Government has launched two consultations on proposals to make it easier for local authorities to tackle poor air quality in their areas. |
Consultation on end date for sale of new non-zero emission buses launched
29/03/2022 The Department for Transport has launched a consultation on setting an end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses, coaches and minibuses. |
London boroughs commit to work for a ‘more sustainable’ city
24/03/2022 Local authorities in London have committed to work collaboratively to reach net zero targets across the capital. |
Government proposes new targets to protect environment
17/03/2022 New legal targets on air quality, nutrient pollution and water quality have been proposed by the Government as part of its Environment Act. |
Councils need more ‘funding and powers’ to tackle climate change
10/03/2022 Progress needs to be accelerated in every local area if the UK’s climate and nature targets are to be met, climate campaigners say. |
Mayor Khan requests consultation on ULEZ expansion
04/03/2022 The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today announce in a keynote speech in Forest Hill that he is asking Transport for London (TfL) to consult on expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide in 2023. |
Zero Emission Zone to be extended across Oxford city centre
21/02/2022 Plans to extend the Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) from the current pilot area to cover the entire city centre in Oxford have been unveiled. |
Scotland back to dangerous levels of air pollution, data shows
01/02/2022 Air pollution in Scotland has once again breached legal limits following a historic low during lockdown, campaigners have revealed. |
Greater Manchester leaders told to consider clean air zone pause
14/01/2022 Greater Manchester leaders will be asked to request permission to put the second phase of Clean Air Zone (CAZ) funding on hold due to cleaner vehicle concerns. |
Bradford council delays launch of clean air zone
24/12/2021 Bradford City Council has said that the launch of its clean air zone (CAZ) has been delayed until spring 2022. |
Commuter train line exposed to ‘extreme levels’ of pollution
22/11/2021 Three councils have warned that residents living near the commuter train line running through the Chilterns are being exposed to dangerous levels of pollution. |
UN acknowledges children have right to clean air
17/11/2021 The United Nations (UN) has acknowledged that children have the right to breath clean air, a move which should help councils in their efforts to tackle pollution at the local level. |
London’s ULEZ resulted in ‘only small improvements in air quality’
17/11/2021 London’s ULEZ has had little impact on air quality and is only effective as part of a wider approach to reducing carbon emissions, researchers say. |
Call to give councils the power to fight non-traffic air pollution
15/09/2021 Councils should be given tough new powers to tackle non-transport related pollution, according to a debate in the House of Lords this week. |
UK’s first Zero Emission Zone to launch next year
10/09/2021 Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) pilot will take place in Oxford next February, it has been confirmed. |
Khan warns of link between air pollution and COVID
07/09/2021 New research has found a link between a person’s exposure to air pollution and the severity with which they will experience the effects of COVID-19. |
Study links air pollution to use of mental health services
27/08/2021 Those exposed to high levels of air pollution are more likely to use mental health services, a new study has revealed. |
Over three million children exposed to ‘dangerous’ levels of air pollution
16/08/2021 More than 3.1 million children across England are going to schools in areas exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) limits on PM2.5, City Hall has revealed. |
Hackney Council closes street to polluting through-traffic
11/08/2021 A funding bid by Hackney Council to close Stoke Newington Church Street to polluting through-traffic during the daytime has been approved. |
Camden council launches world’s densest air quality sensor network
05/08/2021 The world’s densest air quality sensor network, which aims to fundamentally transform how air pollution is monitored and managed, will be installed in the London borough of Camden this summer. |
Burnham's Clean Air zone accused of having 'blind' spot towards air pollution
22/06/2021 Greater Manchester (GM) mayor Andy Burnham has ‘put local taxi drivers first’ by adding them to a list of vehicle operators who will initially be exempt from the region’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ), despite claims that it will ‘kick-start the city region's green revolution’. |
Government to set new targets on air pollution
18/06/2021 The Government will increase funding to local authorities and set new legal targets on air pollution in a bid to prevent further deaths. |
Millions of children attend schools with toxic air, campaigners warn
17/06/2021 Millions of children go to schools where air pollution is above World Health Organization (WHO) limits, new data reveals. |
More children worried about pollution near schools
19/04/2021 Nearly half of children in the UK are worried about air pollution near their school - up from 39% in 2018 - a new survey has revealed. |
Clean air zones save lives and boost local economies
15/04/2021 Clean air zones (CAZs) will save lives and inject millions into local economies, an analysis of eight major cities in the UK has revealed. |
County council approves Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone pilot
17/03/2021 Oxford’s proposed Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) pilot has been formally approved by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet for launch in August. |
Councils share £5m in Air Quality Grants
10/03/2021 A further £5m has been awarded to local authorities across England to deliver projects that tackle air pollution. |
Nearly 50,000 school children exposed to illegal levels of air pollution, campaigners warn
09/03/2021 Thousands of children are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution because their schools are located close to major roads, campaigners have warned. |
Schools Streets cutting air pollution, study reveals
09/03/2021 Closing roads around schools at pick-up and drop-off times has reduced air pollution by 23% in London, a new study published by mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed. |
Fossil fuel air pollution causes one in five deaths every year, research shows
09/02/2021 Fossil fuel pollution is responsible for one in five deaths worldwide - much higher than previously thought - according to new research. |
Air pollution contributed to Ella's death, coroner rules
17/12/2020 A landmark judgement has determined that exposure to excessive air pollution, mainly from traffic emissions, contributed to the death of a nine-year-old girl from South London. |
Councils warned to push ahead with clean air zones
10/12/2020 Air pollution exceeds pre-pandemic levels in 80% of places despite continued lockdown restrictions, new research has uncovered today. |
Call for evidence on appointing Air Quality Partners
06/10/2020 The Government has launched a call for evidence on which public bodies should help local authorities to tackle air pollution. |
Where do Clean Air Zones fit in the green recovery?
18/09/2020 Laura Thornton and Stuart Thomson, the legal director and head of public affairs respectively at BDB Pitmans, look at Clean Air Zones and the green recovery. |
Parents call on councils to improve school air quality
15/09/2020 Parents call on councils to improve air quality as research suggests 50% reduction in pollution could halve number of children?with?poor lung function. |
Government announces ‘legally binding targets’ to tackle climate change
19/08/2020 The Government has set out a series of legally binding targets under the Environment Bill to combat climate change. |
Coronavirus lockdown has improved air quality, scientists find
01/04/2020 Air pollution across the UK’s largest cities has fallen since the start of the lockdown, new analysis has shown. |
The balancing act: reducing emissions and improving transportation
17/02/2020 Paul Moorby outlines how using Big Data to analyse real-time traffic information can help councils to refine traffic management policies whilst reducing carbon emissions. |
A quarter of population exposed to toxic air, charity warns
04/02/2020 A quarter of people in the UK are living in areas with dangerous levels of air pollution, a new study has warned today. |
Environment Bill to give councils ‘clear framework’ to tackle pollution
30/01/2020 Local authorities will have a clear framework for tackling air pollution with the introduction of the Environment Bill, according to the Government. |
Edinburgh council announces aim to be a ‘million tree city’
29/01/2020 Edinburgh City Council has announced that it is working on an ‘action plan’ aimed at increasing the number of trees in the city to one million. |
Family ‘left in distress’ after council fails to investigate noise complaint
29/01/2020 A council in West Northamptonshire has been criticized by the Ombudsman for its handling of a noise complaint from residents living near an industrial estate. |
Brighton considers becoming a ‘car-free’ city
28/01/2020 Brighton & Hove City councillors have agreed to look into the possibility of the city becoming ‘car-free’ by 2023. |
One in 19 deaths in cities due to air pollution, think tank reveals
27/01/2020 A think tank has urged councils to take urgent action to improve air quality in cities after research reveals that more than one in 19 deaths in urban areas is caused by pollution. |
Council clamps down on idling drivers by removing coach parking spots
23/01/2020 Westminster City Council is removing prime parking spots for coaches after drivers ignored previous warnings to turn off their engines while parked. |
Air pollution 'major public health emergency’, charity warns
13/01/2020 Heart and circulatory disease deaths attributed to particulate matter air pollution could exceed 160,000 over the next decade in the UK, according to a health charity. |
Oxford councils propose UK’s first Zero Emission Zone
08/01/2020 The final draft proposals for the UK’s first city centre Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) have been published as part of a drive to reduce Oxford’s ‘toxic air pollution levels’. |
Road run-off 'is pollution risk to London rivers'
02/01/2020 Sadiq Khan has called for more Government cash to tackle road run-off after a ‘pioneering’ study found that it is a pollution risk to the capital’s rivers. |
Council aims to make York city centre ‘car free’
02/01/2020 York city centre could become a ‘car free’ zone as part of a council effort to make the city carbon neutral by 2030. |
‘Vast majority’ of council vehicles run on diesel despite pollution concerns
11/12/2019 Over 90% of vehicles operated by local authorities run on diesel despite council efforts to tackle air pollution, new research has revealed. |
Air pollution like smoking 150 cigarettes a year, charity warns
05/12/2019 People living in areas that have high levels of air pollution have an increased risk of death equivalent to smoking over 150 cigarettes a year, charity warns. |
Bristol backpedals on diesel vehicle acquisition
03/12/2019 Bristol City Council has suspended its roll-out of a new vehicle fleet after purchasing dozens of diesel vehicles despite a planned city centre diesel ban. |
Hedges around parks can halve pollution, study finds
21/11/2019 Planting a hedge in front of a park can cut air pollution in half, a new study has found. |
Five Bristol residents die prematurely each week due to pollution
18/11/2019 Air pollution in Bristol, largely caused by diesel cars, contributes to five people dying prematurely every week, new research has revealed. |
Bristol council considers banning diesel vehicles
30/10/2019 Bristol City Council is considering banning diesel vehicles in what it claims will be the quickest way to reduce nitrogen dioxide in the air. |
Khan launches £25m ‘scrap for cash’ polluting vehicle scheme
24/10/2019 Low-income and disabled motorists in London will receive up to £2,000 for scrapping their old, polluting cars. |
Queen's Speech 19: Councils promised new powers to tackle pollution
14/10/2019 The Queen’s Speech promised an Environment Bill which will establish a ‘world-leading’ independent regulator, the Office for Environmental Protection, and hand some new powers to councils. |
Councils urged to apply for funding from £2m air quality pot
04/10/2019 The Government has today announced the latest round of funding to help local authorities improve air quality across England. |
Health chiefs recommend new air pollution curbs
19/09/2019 Environment and public health chiefs have made a raft of recommendations to tackle air pollution in London, including new local measures to reduce car use. |
Cities make business case for air quality funding
02/09/2019 Leaders of cities with illegal levels of air pollution are calling for the Government to boost spending on air quality, arguing that a fund of £1.5bn could generate up to £6.5bn in returns. |
Whitehall carbon emission target ‘undeliverable’, MPs warn
22/08/2019 MPs have warned the Government that there are no policies in place to deliver the net-zero carbons emissions target by 2050. |
Over 10 million patients in hospitals with ‘dangerous pollution levels’
19/08/2019 Nearly a quarter of hospitals in England are located in areas with poor air quality, new research reveals. |
Think tank calls for fuel duty rise to tackle pollution
12/08/2019 A think tank has called for tough action to tackle air pollution, particularly from road transport, including higher fuel prices and a default 20mph urban speed limit. |
London boroughs eye £750 workplace parking charge
25/07/2019 Several London boroughs are considering introducing workplace parking levies (WPLs) of at least £750 a year to cut pollution and encourage active travel. |
Online tool to calculate health impact of trees published
11/07/2019 A new online tool which can help councils calculate how much pollution would be removed by planting trees in local areas has been launched. |
Birmingham CC to pilot ‘car free’ areas outside schools
10/07/2019 A scheme to ban vehicles from roads near schools at the start and end of the day is to be tried in Birmingham from September. |
Air pollution ‘shortening the lives of children’, report reveals
08/07/2019 A new study has revealed that air pollution could be shortening the lives of children in Birmingham by seven months. |
Grayling promises 'tougher penalties' for vehicle idling
01/07/2019 Transport secretary Chris Grayling has threaten drivers who leave their engine on while parked with ‘tougher penalties’ in an effort to reduce air pollution. |
Policies to clean up air pollution ‘effective’, research suggests
27/06/2019 Policies to clean up air pollution in the UK over the past 40 years have led to significant reductions in human exposure to air pollution, research suggests. |
UK commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’
27/06/2019 The UK has become the ‘first major economy’ to pass a law to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. |
Coventry ordered to implement clean air zone
17/05/2019 Coventry City Council has accused the Government of using ‘heavy handed’ tactics after it was ordered to implement a clean air zone. |
Hackney publishes guide to banning traffic outside schools
17/05/2019 Hackney Council has launched a new toolkit designed to help local authorities ban traffic outside of schools at opening and closing times. |
Scrap older cars and replace them with ‘mobility credits’, Welsh ministers told
09/05/2019 Welsh ministers will today hear how pollution could be tackled by scrapping older cars and replacing them with credits to use on buses, trains and daily car and bike hire. |
Councils urged to tackle light pollution
17/04/2019 Councils have been urged to take action to limit the impact of artificial light from streets and buildings by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). |
Khan hails 'landmark day' as London ULEZ begins
08/04/2019 London’s ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) – described by mayor Sadiq Khan as the world’s toughest vehicle emissions standard – began on Monday. |
Councils must finalise air quality plans or face legal action, lawyers say
27/03/2019 Environmental campaigners have written to 38 local authorities warning them to finalise their air quality plans or face legal action. |
Birmingham faces 'major public health crisis’, council warns
14/03/2019 Birmingham City Council has been given the go-ahead to introduce a clean air zone to tackle what it has called a 'major public health crisis'. |
Planners ‘must do more’ to protect people from pollution
28/02/2019 The Government's health advisers say planning authorities must make sure new building projects protect people from air pollution. |
Council rolls scooters out in bid to tackle pollution
13/02/2019 Children in Leeds will soon be travelling to school on scooters instead of in cars as part of the council’s push to clean up the city’s air. |
Whitehall launches ‘ambitious’ clean air strategy
14/01/2019 The Government’s new clean air strategy aims to cut the costs of air pollution to society by nearly £2bn every year by 2020, although critics warn it lacks detail. |
York invests nearly £2m to improve air quality
10/01/2019 City of York Council plans to invest £1.6m in order to reduce the exhaust emissions from local bus services. |
Khan launches five ‘clean air’ zones
16/11/2018 Sadiq Khan yesterday launched five new ‘clean air’ zones in a bid to clean up some of London’s worst polluted hotspots. |
West Midlands to invest £43m in ‘congestion busting projects’
07/11/2018 Local leaders in the West Midlands will this Friday consider plans to invest £43m in projects designed to tackle the region’s congestion problems. |
Whitehall’s response to air pollution ‘lacks ambition’
29/10/2018 Health bodies have criticised the Government’s approach to pollution and called for legally enforced air standards to ensure cleaner air across the UK. |
‘Deep flaws’ in planning system driving car-dependency
24/10/2018 The planning system is leaving new housing developments without adequate walking, cycling and public transport connections, transport organisation warns. |
Local leaders call for £1.5bn to tackle air pollution
23/10/2018 Local leaders from across the political spectrum have called on Philip Hammond to fill a £1.5bn black hole they argue exists in the funding needed to fight air pollution. |
City leaders call on PM to take action on air pollution
28/08/2018 Leaders of the UK’s major cities have joined forces to urge Theresa May to take ‘tough and urgent’ action to deal with air pollution. |
Council proposes 10-point plan to tackle air pollution
08/08/2018 Oxford City Council has called on the Government to adopt a 10-point plan to tackle high air pollution levels which contribute to 40,000 deaths every year. |
Whitehall publishes plan to boost take-up of ‘ultra low emission cars’
09/07/2018 The Government today announced that it wants at least half of new cars to be ultra low emission by 2030 in an effort to tackle air pollution. |
Millions of children exposed to ‘toxic’ air pollution, charity warns
21/06/2018 One in three children in the UK are growing up in areas with dangerous levels of air pollution, new research by Unicef has revealed. |
Glasgow set for Scotland’s first low emission zone
15/06/2018 Glasgow is set to become the first city in Scotland to reduce air pollution by imposing a low emission zone. |
Car pollution costs health services £6bn a year, study reveals
06/06/2018 Pollution from cars and vans costs £6bn per year in ‘health damages’, new research has revealed. |
Khan launches electric vehicle task force
01/06/2018 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched a taskforce to boost the infrastructure needed to support electric vehicles in the capital. |
Khan announces £1m school air quality fund
25/05/2018 The mayor of London yesterday announced a £1m fund to help protect pupils attending schools in the most polluted areas of the capital. |
Whitehall launches tool to measure air pollution
22/05/2018 The Government’s public health body has launched a new tool to help councils calculate the potential costs of air pollution. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.