West Northamptonshire Council pledges to tackle air pollution as climate group protest outside Guildhall

Dozens gathered outside the Guildhall in Northampton, in silent protest against inaction to toxic air across West Northamptonshire, awaiting the council’s decision on a clean air quality policy.

1000 voices, a campaign led by a Umbrella Fair (a climate action emergency hub based in Northampton), took to the streets on Thursday (September 26) to highlight the polluted air in Northampton and demand for more to be done. Meanwhile, Labour’s Councillor Paul Joyce, proposed a motion inside the council meeting to “recognise and highlight a serious issue in poor air quality that affects many of our local residents on a daily basis”.

The motion requested the cabinet to publish a cohesive clean air policy, outline its plans to spend air quality funding, consider a school streets initiative to cut down on idling vehicles at drop off and pick up times, and to begin trialling smart traffic lights in West Northamptonshire.

A recent study by HouseFresh in 2022 has suggested that Northampton has the worst air pollution in the UK – equal to inhaling 189 cigarettes a year. A report from the British Heart Foundation in 2017 also said that one in 20 deaths in Northampton were linked to air pollution, and warned that as many as 1,700 people could die of heart and circulatory disease in the next decade because of this.

Councillor Danielle Stone, who seconded the motion, said: “There is an urgency to the resolution of the issue of poor air quality. Its impact is seen everyday. It permeates buildings, households living on busy roads are at risk, already disadvantaged families are disproportionately impacted.

“We are causing it and it has to stop. The evidence is in front of us, around us, and inside of us.”

The motion was amended by Councillor David Smith, which was accepted and passed by the council almost unanimously. This will see the implementation of a clean air policy early next year, improvement of traffic management systems, and a pilot programme of active travel to cut down on idling cars.

Cllr Smith, cabinet member for community safety, engagement and regulatory services, said: “Although air quality levels in our area generally fall within Government limits, we know it is a matter of concern for our residents and that more work needs to be done.

“The unanimous support shown by councillors at last night’s meeting demonstrates the widespread commitment and support to achieving this.”

Despite the resounding agreement of the council, the Labour group and Liberal Democrats were still worried about the removal of the school streets initiative and the harm it may cause children and young people.

Labour Councillor Zoe Smith said: “I think it is important that the amendment was accepted in order to ensure that action is taken. But, we mustn’t dilute this. We do need to take urgent action.”

Marly Lyman, a protester at the event, said that the action taken by the council to commit to cleaner air would “mean everything” because it is “saving lives”.

He said: “We’re talking about people dying here. We’re talking about people’s lives that are being cut short by all sorts of ailments, respiratory illnesses, people who are being affected with Alzheimer’s and dementia.”

He said that this is only the first mobilisation of the campaign, and that they hope to get 1000 voices together to show support for the cause and ensure the council delivers on its pledge to cleaner air in the future.