Motion submitted in Accordance with Council Procedure Rule 14 to address the Clean Air for Kirklees
To consider the following Motion in the names of Councillors Khan, Sheard and Pandor.
“This motion calls upon the Environment Secretary Michael Gove to urgently take further action to fix the dangerous growing problem of air pollution in our towns and cities. Following a third court order that slams the Government’s Air Quality Plan as inadequate and unlawful, the UK Government has been urged to produce a national Clean Air Act which demonstrates the Government taking responsibility as well as local authorities.
Clean air is considered to be a basic requirement of human health and well-being. However, air pollution continues to pose a serious threat to health of the public. Air pollution is contributing to approximately 40,000 early deaths a year in the UK. When dissected down to a Kirklees level that was the equivalent to 137 deaths per year associated with poor air quality in 2015.
This Council believes that air pollution in the UK is a public health crisis, with the World Health Organisation and Public Health England describing it as the largest environmental risk to public health.
Kirklees is undertaking a number of projects and interventions to improve the health of our residents and improve the local environment. This includes everything from leading on the West Yorkshire ECO-Stars Freight Recognition scheme, retrofitting school transport buses, Smart Traffic Lights, encouraging low emission taxis, installing a strategic electric vehicle charging network across the District, assessing the impact of housing developments on air quality, and providing concessional parking for low emission vehicles.
This Cabinet therefore requests the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Environment urging the Government to act immediately to protect the health, wellbeing and economic sustainability for our generation and those of the future. The Government must work with local authorities and industry to make sustainable evidence based changes supported by long-term consistent and stable funding.”
Decision:
Motion approved, subject to the addition of:
‘This motion recognises the urgent need to take further action to fix the dangerous growing problem of air pollution and calls on the Cabinet to prepare and bring to Council at the earliest opportunity, an up-to-date Clean Air Strategy which covers the whole of the borough.’