Manchester City Council Elections 2024
We campaigned to ensure that strong action to tackle air pollution was high on Manchester City Council’s agenda in the run up to the May 2024 local elections. The latest figures, from 2022, showed that Manchester had the highest nitrogen dioxide concentrations of any local authority in the UK, highlighting the urgent nature of the action required to clean up Manchester’s air.
We called for:
A pathway to reach the 2021 World Health Organization guideline targets for healthy air with clear interim targets and timescales.
A Clean Air cabinet member.
An acceleration of the School Streets programme.
Action on wood burning.
Our four asks in detail:
1. A pathway to reach the 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) guideline targets for healthy air with clear interim targets and timescales.
Based on thousands of scientific studies, in 2021 the WHO significantly reduced its air quality recommendations and clarified that while any level of air pollution is unhealthy, NO2 should not exceed 10μg/m3 as an annual mean, and PM2.5 should not exceed 5μg/m3.
In one of the richest countries of the world, nobody should be forced to breathe toxic air. We urged Manchester City Council to outline a pathway towards this level of air pollution locally, with clear interim targets to ensure accountability.
2. A Clean Air Cabinet member.
The addition of “Clean Air” or “Air pollution” to the title of a cabinet member in Manchester City Council would ensure that the air pollution public health crisis is constantly considered in cabinet decisions and that our policy makers can be held accountable.
3. Action on wood burning.
We wanted to see Manchester City Council take leadership on this hugely polluting issue by using all channels available to them to raise awareness of the health impacts of wood and solid fuel burning amongst residents, and jointly, use their lobbying powers with national government to press for effective powers or action.
It is very difficult for a local council to tell if someone is burning legally or illegally and then to enforce (low) fixed penalty notices. More powers are needed; in the meantime, we asked Manchester City Council to raise awareness as much as it can, through the use of social media, council newsletters, flyers, bus stop posters and local magazines.
4. An acceleration of the School Streets programme.
All children deserve a healthy and safe start to the day. School Streets are proven to reduce traffic and increase safety; not only that but travelling actively to school has been shown to improve learning outcomes.
We urged Manchester City Council to commit to 25% of all primary schools in the borough implementing a School Street over the next five years, with a clear action plan to protect children in main road schools too.