Sussex Local News

Sussex Local News

30/11/09 Local Action To Improve Air Quality - Environment Minister Jim Fitzpatrick

In a Defra summit on how to improve air quality, Environment Minister Jim Fitzpatrick called on local authorities to work with the Government to co-ordinate action at all levels to improve air quality.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Fitzpatrick said to local government representatives that: “A key message from you and your officers has not only been that we in Government need to work closer together on air quality – and we will do this – but for local government too there needs to be dialogue and joint action at all levels – between air quality, transport, land use and climate change.

“We must all do this to ensure we get the message out there about how important it is that the air we breathe is as clean as it can be.”

Mr Fitzpatrick also praised local authorities and communities for their work on tackling air pollution.

Air pollution can have a serious effect on people’s health and is estimated to reduce the life expectancy of every person in the UK by an average of seven to eight months. The Government is examining the measures it can take to improve air quality in particular through reducing pollution from road transport especially HGV’s and buses but also ensuring that local authorities have what they need to tackle air quality locally.

Local authorities are taking important steps to improve air quality such as working with fleet operators to improve vehicle standards and reduce pollution, or ensuring land use planning proposals take steps to mitigate air quality impacts or assist local authorities to do so. Air quality needs to be taken into account in all decisions councils make including major transport and land use planning decisions and the government will work with local councils to ensure this is facilitated.

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