More than one in 20 deaths in the South West’s largest cities and towns is related to long-term exposure to pollution, an independent research centre has revealed.
People in the region are 16 times more likely to die from inhaling poisonous air than in a car crash, according to Centre for Cities’ annual Cities Outlook 2020 study.
The proportion of deaths related to deadly toxin PM2.5 was highest in Swindon, with 5.4 per cent of all adult deaths caused by the pollutant, followed by Gloucester (5.1 per cent) and Bristol (5.1 per cent).
Meanwhile Plymouth had the lowest percentage of deaths related to the toxin, with 4.2 per cent.
In total, an estimated 872 people were killed by PM2.5-related deaths in the region's large cities and towns over the course of 12 months.
Levels of PM2.5 are currently legal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, despite breaking the World Health Organisation’s air pollution guidelines.
Transport and fuel released by wood-burning stoves and coal fires are major contributors to the issue. But not all the pollution is locally generated, with some in the South of England blown in from continental Europe.
Centre for Cities is now calling local authority leaders to do more and for national government to provide extra funding to help regional councils.
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Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “More than half of people in the 海角视频 live in cities and large towns. And while they offer people good employment and lifestyle opportunities Cities Outlook 2020 shows that they also having a damaging effect on their health, with air pollution killing thousands of people living in cities every year.
'People in the South West should be at the centre of the fight against its toxic air'
“Politicians often talk tough on addressing air pollution but we need to see more action. People in the South West should be at the centre of the fight against its toxic air and councils should take the steps needed, including charging people to drive in city centres and banning wood burning stoves."
Bristol City Council is already working to combat its pollution problems, with the local authority approving its clean air plans at the end of last year.
The council has proposed a controversial inner-city ban on private diesel vehicles which would operate between 7am and 3pm each day, and a surrounding clean air zone (CAZ) which polluting commercial vehicles would be charged to enter 24/7.
The authority is now refining its plans while it awaits feedback from the government.
Bristol mayor Marvin Rees wrote in a recent blog: "We are making good progress on refining the plans and hope to be able to flesh out more of the details in the next couple of months.
"We know that the menu of options made available to us by government don’t give us much flexibility, but our plans for a charging zone for non-compliant commercial vehicles and a small area ban for privately owned diesel cars... meant that we could meet the government directive of achieving compliance quickest but also having the least impact on low-income households.
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"This is a very complex project and we are working with government because it’s vital that we get it right. This will take time, but ultimately the priority for us is to meet the legal direction of delivering air quality compliance over the shortest period of time."
Swindon Borough Council has also published its air-quality action plan, which outlines the strategy for tackling air pollution over the next five years.
South Swindon MP Robert Buckland said: "Air quality in Swindon is generally very good. Like other towns and cities, however, some areas are not as good, and these are generally associated with busy traffic routes and areas where houses lie close to the kerb.
“The air-quality management area that has been declared for a small stretch of Kingshill Road is, it’s important to note, the only one in Swindon. I am working closely with Swindon Borough Council to improve air quality, particularly on this road.
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“Swindon Borough Council have been consulting the public on its plans to improve the air in the Kingshill air quality management area. Ideas include signs discouraging drivers from using the road and restricting heavy lorries from using the hill."
Mr Buckland added that Swindon is "leading the way" by helping develop cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
He added: “Hydrogen technology will play an increasingly important part in getting us from A to B in a cleaner way, whether it's powering our cars or our trains and buses, and I will continue to work to ensure that our town plays a vital role in this initiative."
PM2.5-related deaths in the South West |
|||
Rank |
City |
Total number of PM2.5-related deaths |
PM2.5-related deaths as a percentage of total deaths |
1 |
Swindon | 97 |
5.4% |
2 |
Gloucester | 58 |
5.1% |
3 |
Bristol | 288 |
5.1% |
4 |
Bournemouth | 273 |
5.0% |
6 |
Exeter | 47 |
4.4% |
7 |
Plymouth | 108 |
4.2% |
| Deaths in people aged 25 and over, 2017 |