Public Health

Green Party Press Release

Lancaster and District Green Party Press Release 7th August 2006 

Council fails to get to grips with air quality problems

Lancaster City Council declared an 'Air Quality Management Area' covering the city centre in March 2004.  This is in line with government policy to identify those areas with air quality that is bad enough to damage health (see Note 1).

The point of declaring an area like this is to produce a plan to improve air quality and protect the health of those who live there.  Lancaster City Council has not done this and has failed to meet four important government deadlines.  (see Note 2)

Speaking today Cllr John Whitelegg who has been requesting action on air quality for several months said:

“The Council is in serious breach of its legal responsibilities and more importantly of its duty to protect the health of local people.  This is an example of a very clear situation where the Council must take action to improve air quality, has the power to do so and has dragged its feet for over two years. This shows a callous disregard for the health and quality of life of its citizens” 
 
Councillor Whitelegg has written to the Chief Executive and the leader of the Council to demand immediate action to improve air quality.

For further information please contact John Whitelegg on 63175

Note 1
According to the European Environment Agency poor air quality is a serious health problem that kills 240,000 people each year in the European Union and hospitalises far more with asthma attacks and respiratory disease.  See this excerpt.

Note 2
An e-mail from DEFRA (the government department responsible for air quality) to Cllr Whitelegg dated 3rd August 2006 identifies four failures on the part of Lancaster City Council to carry out its responsibilities:
 
(i) DEFRA should have received a “Further review and assessment” in March 2005 and this has still not been sent to DEFRA
(ii) DEFRA  were then expecting this review in April 2006 but it has still not been sent to DEFRA
(iii) DEFRA  recommend that local authorities submit their action plans to DEFRA within 12-18 months of the declaration of an air quality problem and we have never received a draft action plan from Lancaster
(iv) Lancaster City Council was supposed to send an “Updating and screening assessment” in April 2006 and Lancaster has not sent it

For more information contact
Jon Barry on 844113
John Whitelegg on 63175