Campaigners call for local residents to support Clean Air Day in Northampton

Air pollution is a major public health issue. As well as causing serious lung conditions, minute particles of some pollutants pass into our bloodstream, contributing to major health problems including stroke, heart disease, and low birthweight in babies. Government figures show that in the UK as a whole air pollution leads to up to 36,000 people per year dying prematurely. This makes it the biggest single environmental health risk in the UK. These health problems also have a financial impact, costing billions of pounds annually to treat.

Some sectors of society are more affected by air pollution than others including the very young and elderly, and those on lower incomes and more likely to live in areas with higher levels of pollution, for example alongside busy roads. People on low incomes are also less likely to own a car, which is one of the biggest causes of air pollution.

In Northampton, the group Clean Air Northampton carried out an informal poll at the Town Carnival this month, which showed that residents are keen to see actions that help and encourage people to leave their cars at home and walk or cycle instead. More details of the poll are being published today by Climate Action-West Northamptonshire on their online forum, CA-WN Exchange (www.ca-wn.org).

Clean Air Northampton are also joining forces with XR Northampton to organise a Clean Air Day protest march starting at Northampton General Hospital, Cheyne Walk, at noon. They are inviting everyone concerned about the level of air pollution in Northampton to join them.

Jane Wood, Chair of Climate Action – West Northamptonshire, said: “It’s well known that air pollution has serious impacts on our health, and what causes pollution – so it seems obvious that we should be taking action to address the causes, both as individuals and on the part of our public bodies including West Northamptonshire Council. If you’re concerned about air pollution, think about what you can do personally to reduce the pollution you are generating, and ask your local councillor to push for WNC to speed up measures it is taking to clean up our air.”