Tackling local air quality breaches

Central government has not always got the balance right in how it works in partnership...

Central government has not always got the balance right in how it works in partnership with local government, having been prescriptive in some respects, while seeming to avoid responsibilities that naturally sit at a national level in others. The best approach to addressing air quality issues varies between areas according … Read more Central government has not always got the balance right in how it works in partnership with local government, having been prescriptive in some respects, while seeming to avoid responsibilities that naturally sit at a national level in others. The best approach to addressing air quality issues varies between areas according to local circumstances. Although Local Authorities have had the freedom to set different exemption criteria and different charging levels for Clean Air Zones, some feel that JAQU has been inflexible and lacks understanding of local politics, with too much emphasis placed on 6 Tackling local air quality breaches CAZs as the default option, instead of other measures that may be more suited to the area. On the other hand, government has not taken the responsibility it should for national messaging on the need for air quality measures, saying that local places were best placed to judge how to communicate with their residents, and so not introducing a national campaign. The experience of the Covid-19 pandemic shows that local communications need to be supported by a strong national message about why specific local actions are necessary. Recommendation: The government should review its approach to working with local authorities on air quality, to make it a more effective partnership. In particular, it should: • introduce a national communications campaign on air quality to provide a strong national message about the purpose of air quality measures that supports locally-tailored communications. • Ensure that local authorities have sufficient flexibility to determine the approach to be taken in their local area. In addition, government should provide a further update to the committee by the end of this year outlining what further steps are being taken to improve its working relationship with local authorities. Show less