WARRINGTON has been named and shamed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the second worst place in the North West for breaching safety levels for air pollution.
The town is one of more than 40 towns and cities across Britain and Ireland named and shamed by the WHO for breaching the safe levels for a measure known as PM2.5.
PM2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated. Outdoor PM2.5 levels are most likely to be elevated on days with little or no wind or air mixing.
The WHO say that across the world 80% of cities that measure outdoor air pollution are failing to meet its guidance for safe levels of air quality.
As air quality declines, the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma, increases for the people who live in these areas.
The WHO say that ambient air pollution, made of high concentrations of small and fine particulate matter, is the greatest environmental risk to health – causing more than 3 million premature deaths around the world every year.
Dr Flavia Bustreo, WHO’s assistant director general for family, women and children’s health, said: ‘When dirty air blankets our cities, the most vulnerable urban populations – the youngest, oldest and poorest – are the most impacted.’
Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, added: ‘It is deeply concerning that 40 UK towns and cities are failing to meet WHO standards for the smallest, most harmful pollution particles. These particles are able to reach deep into our lungs and even into our bloodstream, and can have a serious impact on our breathing and wider health.
‘It is clear from this report that the UK is facing an air pollution crisis. Unfortunately, the Government’s response so far has been inadequate. Swift action must be taken to reduce pollution levels in the UK and protect our lung health.’
Of the towns and cities which breached the PM2.5 only Salford ranked worse than Warrington in the North West.
Colin Daniels
Warrington Chamber of Commerce CEO Colin Daniels, has been calling for highway chiefs to tackle the town’s traffic jam issues for a number of years.
He said:” All the traffic jams are contributing to pollution of the air that we breath and a recent report has suggested that up to 800 deaths per week are of people succumbing to air pollution created by traffic exhausts in the United Kingdom.
“This view is supported by the revelation that Britain’s most popular diesel cars all exceed the legal limit for safe levels of pollution and some are up to 14 times higher, official tests have shown significantly higher levels of emissions than in laboratory tests.”
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, executive board member for public health and wellbeing, said: “Warrington Borough Council takes its responsibility for the health and wellbeing of its residents extremely seriously. We remain determined to tackle the causes of ill health in the borough and that includes air pollution. To this end we have a comprehensive network of sampling sites which form part of a national monitoring programme.
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin
“The choice of active travel options contributes directly to people’s health and wellbeing, and options such as walking and cycling can improve health, while helping to reduce air pollution at the same time . You can visit the Travel Warrington website or email the team on: [email protected] to find out about a range of travel options.”
Cllr Judith Guthrie, executive board member for environment and public protection, said: “The vast majority of the town complies with the current air quality standards. We are not complacent and we know that, in common with most other towns and cities, air pollution levels can be high within a few metres of busy roads.
“Research has also highlighted the effects of levels of ultra-fine particulates, which are formed from national, regional and local sources of pollution. We are monitoring the impacts of air pollution through the national Public Health Outcomes Framework and developing local options to manage air quality with the Transport Research Laboratory.
“People can find out more on air pollution on the daily at the Met Office Air Quality Forecast http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/guide/weather/air-quality which outlines actions that people can take; especially those with underlying health conditions who may be more affected by changes in air quality.”
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13 Comments
This is a massive wake up call to everyone that we seriously need to do something to relieve the traffic congestion in and around the town centre.
I work within walking distance of the town centre – and have been wondering why my asthma has deteriorated in recent years!!!
Since moving to the Warrington area back in 1988 my Asthma has become more pronounced and working in the town centre for the last ten years has not helped at all. The amount of vehicles travelling through the town centre (many just crawling along) obviously pump a lot more pollution into the air and that is not a good thing at all.
This is an inevitable consequence of successive administrations failing to upgrade what was always a tatty infrastructure, in order to keep pace with their favoured developers/developments. In so doing the options for much needed – some might argue essential – infrastructure improvements have and are becoming increasingly restricted. It will take decades to undo the harm this approach has created.
The administration have also failed to protect the trees, that evidence has proven reduces pollution, particularly on Winwick road, Omega and Chapelford whilst failing to ensure that new housing includes new planting which is essential to decent urban planning.
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, executive board member for public health and wellbeing, said: “Warrington Borough Council takes its responsibility for the health and wellbeing of its residents extremely seriously. We remain determined to tackle the causes of ill health in the borough and that includes air pollution. To this end we have a comprehensive network of sampling sites which form part of a national monitoring programme.”
Fine but meaningless words. How will having a comprehensive network of monitoring sites begin to tackle the increasing levels of pollution the people of Warrington face daily? They will merely record increasing levels of pollution, not some how “magic” them away. We need and have needed for decades a comprehensive network of roads to enable us to move around, across and through town without without encountering grid lock at virtually every junction. The time has come councillor for positive action not baseless aspirations.
……..and before too long somebody will come up with the idea of a congestion charge as the solution!
Before they even begin to think about imposing one Paul there will have to be an almost reliable public transport system. Network Warring? Bah, pigs might fly if ever that comes about.
Today’s Queen’s Speech announced a Bus Services Bill, the highlights of which are:
Combined local authorities with elected mayors to have power to franchise local services
Operators will be required to share route, fare and schedule data with app developers
Councils to set standards for ticketing, branding and frequency of services
Clearer and simpler franchising arrangements
In the case of Warrington, I guess that the Council……who own, but don’t directly run, the local bus company will have to think long and hard about how the bus company can be developed, albeit that it probably lacks the economy of scale to remain a standalone operator. Interestingly I was in Ibiza a couple of weeks ago, very good bus services on comfortable coach type buses….travelled about 12 miles for €2.
It costs £4.00 to travel less than 7 miles here Paul on Network Warrington. As you say the Council will have to think long and hard, if it is capable of so doing, how the bus company can be developed. Sadly both the council and the bus company lack the ability and management to benefit the local community.
When are the people who make these reports going to realise that Warrington lies in a bowl, remember in the 60’s coming from Winwick down Winwick Rd, you couldn’t see the town it was covered in smoke. That was before smoke control came in.
Ever think why in the second world war few bombs fell on the town, it was because the German bombers couldn’t see where to bomb.
Its the same climatic conditions now that holds the pollution in Warrington. Not smoke these days but car exhaust pollution, but we all use cars including these ‘ advisors’
All the more reason to take account of the location and environment of the town when it is being developed. Which clearly has not been done in Warrington by any administration. Today our current crop of civic leaders are heralding another development that will be built with a school and shops near a motorway, the day after Warrington’s unenviable place in the WHO and BLF’s pollution league table was confirmed.
“When are the people who make these reports going to realise that Warrington lies in a bowl,”
Perhaps at the same time as the Town Centre planners and Highways Dept realise it – probably never?
Another reason why new council offices and an extended car park shouldn’t be built in the Town Centre!
The vacant NWDA offices should have been used or somewhere further out of town. As contact by the public is now online there is absolutely no need for council offices in town and no need for town centre car parks to be used for all day parking by council staff. Another unnecessary town centre office building is the Golden Gates ‘Flagship’ workers paradise – also operating online.
If town centre shops and businesses were to give free bus passes to their staff instead of any perks / discounts whatever, that would also help. Though to make it possible Network Warrington would have to improve efficiency!