Delayed pollution action plan due 'later this year'

Campaigners have staged protests outside council meetings calling for more action on air quality

A council says its air quality action plan (AQAP), which campaigners have been demanding to see, will be published later this year.

West Northamptonshire Council has had to re-draft parts of the plan following feedback from government officials.

A campaign group said the plan was the "key thing that will help improve the lives of people in Northampton".

The council's public health spokesperson said the feedback had allowed the authority to "strengthen the AQAP".

There has been concern about the high levels of pollution in Northampton for several years.

In 2022, the town was named in a study by Housefresh, an independent publication focused on air quality, as the worst area for air pollution in the country, with residents inhaling the equivalent of 189 cigarettes a year.

The town has seven air quality management areas where quality standards are not being met, and the AQPA was drafted to tackle the problem.

Some campaigners made their point at a previous demonstration by wearing gas masks

Campaigners have staged several protests in their quest for more action against pollution. They presented councillors at one meeting with "death certificates" for residents whose demise, they claimed, would be hastened by poor air quality and turned up at another meeting wearing gas masks.

At last week's full council at the Guildhall, they played loud music during a debate.

Tina Matthew from 1,000 Voices says the council "has done nothing" about an air quality action plan

Tina Matthew, from the 1,000 Voices campaign, said the council "has done absolutely nothing about an air quality action plan".

"It's still with DEFRA [the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]. DEFRA have not agreed it, and it's the key thing that'll help improve the lives of people in Northampton."

West Northamptonshire Council said it had "recently submitted an updated version of the draft AQAP to DEFRA".

A spokesperson added: "It follows a review of the draft by DEFRA earlier this year, which highlighted some further work, including a local technical study, that needed to be carried out ahead of publishing the final version.

"WNC has now completed the required work and has resubmitted the updated plan for approval."

Matt Golby from West Northamptonshire Council said the delay had allowed the council to strengthen the plan

Matt Golby, the council's cabinet member for public health, said: "This feedback from DEFRA has allowed us to strengthen the AQAP and ensures that we are focusing our efforts in the best way possible in line with expectations and requirements, as we work towards reducing pollution in West Northants.”

The final AQAP is due to be published later this year.