City air quality to take your breath away

Published on Tuesday 8 December 2009 08:52

POLLUTION levels on more than half of the Capital's dirtiest streets are continuing to flout European guidelines despite the threat of the city being hammered with millions of pounds in fines.

The Evening News obtained the figures as part of an investigation into Edinburgh's green credentials as world leaders meet in Copenhagen in the hope of thrashing out a new climate change deal.

The statistics show vehicle emission levels at the majority of sites monitored are continuing to exceed safe limits.

Click here to see the statistics for your area

Despite a slight improvement on the previous year, the level of nitrogen dioxide on busy roads such as London Road and St John's Road continues to put the city in line for EU fines.

Twenty-five of the 43 monitored streets in Edinburgh are now failing the EU pollution targets, according to the city council's own figures.

Long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide can affect lung function and increase the risk of respiratory symptoms such as bronchitis, especially in children.

In 2011, EU targets on air quality become mandatory, and the council faces being hit with fines which local government chiefs believe could top 300 million across the UK.

Council leaders hope the trams and an increased focus on park-and-rides will eventually help cut pollution levels across the city.

However, the immediate impact of the tram project has been to make it more difficult to monitor pollution levels because of changes to traffic flows.

Juliet Swann, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said the figures should re-ignite the debate over congestion charging.

She said: "One of the main reasons Friends of the Earth Scotland wanted to see a congestion charge brought in for Edinburgh was that it would help us meet our legally binding requirements on air pollution levels under European law.

"Given traffic levels in Edinburgh have increased rather than decreased since then, it is no surprise that the level of pollution in Edinburgh is higher than it should be.

"Without a congestion charge, or other measures to immediately constrain vehicle numbers in central Edinburgh, residents risk being subjected to selected road closures in order for the city to meet air quality targets."

The organisation said efforts to reduce the number of cars on the city's roads would also have a positive knock-on effect for Edinburgh's CO2 emissions.

The EU annual average objective for nitrogen dioxide – which is not a greenhouse gas – is 40 micrograms per cubic metre. However, a number of the city's busiest roads regularly exceed this, including St John's Road and Morrison Street, where levels often exceed 70 micrograms.

The highest reading was taken on one part of St John's Road, where an annual mean concentration of 85 micrograms was recorded. Among the other worst offenders are West Port and West Maitland Street.

Edinburgh's transport leader, Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, said the council was committed to improving air quality and a large part of that involved reducing vehicle emissions.

"With the bus and freight companies we are currently exploring both voluntary and mandatory approaches to see how we can increase the number of newer, greener vehicles in their fleets.

"We also actively encourage residents and visitors to use alternative modes of transport such as walking or cycling wherever possible. Of course, with zero on-street emissions, the tram project will play its part. The council has an Air Quality Action Plan which deals with all of these issues and aims to reduce pollutants which affect air quality."

City's steps to cut carbon footprint

EDINBURGH'S commitment to reducing its carbon footprint includes a council target of lowering its emissions by 25 per cent by 2013.

The council has also agreed to "climate proof" all new strategies, plans and projects, with the view to making the city a zero carbon economy by 2050.

Scotland as a whole now has some of the most ambitious climate change legislation in the world, committing the country to an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Councillor Robert Aldridge, the city's environment leader, said: "The city council is taking a lead on reducing carbon emissions.

"We have already adopted a carbon reduction plan for all aspects of the council's activities and have established a special fund to invest in managing energy more efficiently."

He added: "We are piloting a carbon trading initiative which will help us identify the better use of resources and allow us to target action to reduce carbon emissions."

GOOD RETURN ON RECYCLING EFFORT

WHILE the city has failed to make major strides in cutting the level of on-street pollution, the same cannot be said for improving recycling rates.

According to the city council, Edinburgh is currently in line to recycle more than a third of its waste this year, up from just 22 per cent in 2005-6.

Council bosses say the Capital is on target to meet a national 40 per cent target by the end of the 2010 financial year.

Edinburgh has the lowest levels of waste per household in Scotland, according to the council.

Earlier this year the Evening News revealed that recycling advisory officers have begun carrying out "door-knocking" campaigns around the city in areas which fail to recycle enough waste.

The idea is one of a number of initiatives by the local authority to improve recycling rates.

However, the move was labelled "Draconian" by the Taxpayers' Alliance and led to council bosses being accused of "lecturing people on their doorstep".