The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Depfra) has published its Clear Air Strategy, which will hand new powers to local authorities to combat air pollution.
The plan aims to cut what the government estimates as a current cost to society of £1.7bn each year.
The strategy published on 14 January says: “To drive and enable greater local action on air pollution, we will ensure responsibility sits at the right tier of local government and back this up with new powers as well as making existing powers easier to use.
“Neighbouring local authorities and other public bodies will work collectively to tackle air pollution”.
The detail will be provided in an Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill.
In the meantime, it is not clear how the new duties placed upon councils are to be funded.
Cllr Martin Tett, Environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: “Councils are determined to reduce the impact of harmful emissions on the health of our communities but if the Government’s air quality plans and any new local powers are to be successful, they need to be underpinned by local flexibility and sufficient funding”.
