Maidstone Greens are furious that the Council’s environment committee1 has recommended reducing the Air Quality Management Area2 in the town and say it will lead to more deaths. The Greens point to the failure of local actions to tackle pollution, continuing high numbers of deaths and that the Borough exceeds World Health Organisation limits across 90% of its testing sites.
DEFRA figures show that around 75 people die each year in Maidstone as a result of air pollution, largely from vehicles3.
Cllr Stuart Jeffery (Green Party), “Air pollution is one of the biggest preventable causes of death and Maidstone has some of the worst pollution in the country. It causes strokes, heart attacks, dementia and lung disease so why are Maidstone Borough Council not putting their foot to the floor to tackle it? Instead they want to reduce the area being managed in the town centre.
“The Council claims that 16% of the air pollution in Upper Stone Street, the worst affected area, is from buses yet it claimed that it has tackled the problem of dirty buses in a recent report. Data show that Maidstone has the second dirtiest fleet of Arriva buses in the entire country.
“It was sad to see the lack of opposition to the proposal on the Environment Committee, councillors need to show some mettle to fight for what is right. I will continue to campaign for air that is safe to breathe.”
Notes:
- Communities, Housing and Environment Policy Advisory Committee meeting 11th October 2022. The recommendation goes to the Executive Committee for final agreement.
- https://maidstone.gov.uk/home/primary-services/council-and-democracy/primary-areas/your-councillors?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGbWVldGluZ3MubWFpZHN0b25lLmdvdi51ayUyRmRvY3VtZW50cyUyRnM4NDIzMyUyRlByb3Bvc2VkJTIwQ2hhbmdlJTIwdG8lMjBNYWlkc3RvbmUlMjBBUU1BJTIwYW5kJTIwUmVxdWVzdCUyMHRvJTIwQ29uc3VsdCUyMG9uJTIwTmV3JTIwQWlyJTIwUXVhbGl0eSUyMEFjdGlvbiUyMFBsYW4ucGRmJmFsbD0x
- Link to COMEAP: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health and https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/332854/PHE_CRCE_010.pdf