Leeds street ‘worst outside London’ for pollution

Thursday, 28 February 2019 07:00

An environment charity says a street in Leeds is the worst outside of London for air pollution.

A study of local authority data by Friends of the Earth revealed Neville Street, near to Leeds train station, had levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) up to 99ug/m3. This is nearly two and a half times over the objective limit of 40ug/m3, which is set to protect health.

Councillor James Lewis said the council was "committed to improving air quality" and recognised "air pollution exceeds legal limits in some parts of Leeds".

Bradford featured in the top 10 of worst polluted roads in Yorkshire, with Queens Road offering a reading of 66ug/m3 of NO2.

Simon Bowens, Yorkshire and North East campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “It’s unforgivable to see many locations across the region over air quality limits, leaving thousands of us breathing dangerously polluted air.

“Air pollution is often an issue thought of as affecting only the biggest cities. The reality is that unacceptably toxic air can be found across much of the UK, even in smaller towns. It is harming the health of people across the country and is especially bad for young children whose lungs are still developing.

“The government needs to step up and do more to deal with this air pollution crisis – they can’t just carry on leaving the difficult decisions with local authorities, many of which are severely under-resourced.”

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