Issue - meetings

It was moved by Councillor Roscoe, seconded by Councillor Lappin:

This Council notes:

Poor air quality affects people’s health and damages the environment. In Sefton, there are two main pollutants of concern: nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter. The main source of these pollutants is road traffic, in particular diesel engines.

Sefton Council is committed to improving Air Quality in the Borough and is working on a number of initiatives to ensure that Sefton will be a place where improved health and wellbeing is experienced by all. This includes, but is not limited to, junction improvement works, measures to reduce congestion, a DEFRA funded Schools behaviour change project and Development of an Outline Business Case (OBC) for the consideration of a Sefton Based Clean Air Zone (CAZ), initiating a “school streets” scheme for some schools in Southport and plans to extend this programme into Bootle. This work directly supports Sefton’s 2030 vision of a cleaner, greener, and healthier Borough

Poor air quality has a negative impact on public health, with potentially serious consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Identifying problem areas, prioritising vulnerable residents, and ensuring that actions are taken to improve air quality forms an important element in protecting the health and wellbeing of Sefton’s residents.

Studies have shown that children’s lungs are disproportionally vulnerable to air pollution as their lungs are still growing and that children who are exposed to severe air pollution are up to four times more likely to have poor lung development. Children are also more susceptible to respiratory infections and daily exposure to pollution has been shown to contribute to increased inflammation of the airways in healthy children and children with asthma. Children’s height means they tend to be exposed to more roadside pollution than adults^{. (1)}

Asthma + Lung UK have commissioned research that found that more than 25% of all British schools and colleges are surrounded by ‘dangerously high’ levels of air pollution. This is impacted by idling vehicles and unnecessary car trips to school instead of walking or cycling. ⁽²⁾

Recent national research by Living Streets ⁽³⁾ found the following: -

1.   Over a third (36%) are scared about walking to school because of speeding traffic.

2.   One in five children and young people are concerned about the lack of safe crossing points on their journey to school.

3.   Over a third of primary school children surveyed reported being scared about walking to school because of speeding traffic. COVID Risk management restrictions have meant that classroom windows have to be left open increasing the risk of pollution to children, particularly in those buildings close to roads. Children and their families have to wait outside schools, making them more exposed to air pollution.

Recently, in a landmark decision, a nine-year-old girl Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who died in 2013 following an asthma attack has become the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death and that air pollution “made a material contribution” to her death after  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62