Newcastle upon Tyne – the northeast’s major city – is one of a number of places that have been challenged by the UK government to reduce air pollution ‘in the shortest possible time’. Efforts to tackle the city’s pollution problem, responsible for over 200 early deaths a year, have mainly focused on addressing nitrogen-dioxide pollution from road traffic. But not everyone agrees on how to tackle traffic-related pollution, or that there is a need for action on air quality at all. The city now has several active campaign groups on the issue, who have formed a Clean Air Coalition.
Alistair Ford
