Leeds City Council has revoked an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) Order for the Tilburys and Eustons area of Holbeck, close to the M621.
A report published on Friday (22 March 2024) states:
“Comprehensive monitoring within the AQMA has identified that air quality … is now within UK Objectives and has been consistently so, for a number of years.”
Councils are required to carry out air quality monitoring under the 1995 Environment Act and the Tilburys AQMA was declared in 2010, due to levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) being above the annual average target of 40 μg/m3. The main sources of NO2 are vehicle emissions and the burning of fossil fuels.
Three monitoring points on the end of Tilbury Mount and Tilbury Row, near the M621, recorded levels below the target from 2017-2022.
The report states that there are no major developments planned for the area that would add to the pollution. The national shift to less polluting vehicles and the Council’s clean air strategy also mean that levels are unlikely to rise in the near future.
However, monitoring will continue to take place in the area to ensure ongoing compliance with UK Air Quality Objectives.
Responding to the report, Cllr Andrew Scopes (Labour, Beeston & Holbeck) said:
“Whilst I recognise the air quality meets Government targets, I strongly believe the air quality in the Tilbury area needs to continue to improve and monitoring may help that.”
You can read the full report here.
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I nearly choked coming across this article. The council state that no major developments are planned for the area that would add to the pollution. This is not true.
The Tilburys and Eustons are very close to the proposed Holbeck Sports Hub that comprises of 3 large 3G pitches. Each 3G pitch will contain 120 tonnes of shredded tyres with a yearly top up of 1 to 5 tonnes of tyres. The tyre particles easily escape into the air and contain hundreds of harmful chemicals.
Tyre particles are a significant contributor to urban air pollution. The particles qualify as air pollution because they are so small. The smallest particles can enter the bloodstream and pass into the brain or placenta.
The shift to less polluting cars means that the biggest source of pollutant emissions from cars will come from non-exhaust sources such as tyres. The increased weight of SUVs and electric cars results in even greater emissions from tyre wear. This tyre wear particle pollution is produced incidentally by vehicles. However, the tons of tyre particles on the 3G pitches planned for Holbeck will be spread intentionally by Leeds City Council. This pollution is completely avoidable.
This week a new report was published calling for an urgent ban on rubber crumb 3G pitches because of the human health and environmental harm. There is already a European ban. The report which has already made headline news focuses on Scotland but much of the report is relevant to the rest of the UK. I urge every person living in Holbeck, every player and parent to read this report. If Leeds City Council truly want to improve air quality in this part of Holbeck they will provide the best quality natural grass pitches. Affluent Harewood ward in the north of the city will soon have new natural grass pitches. There is a health gap and Leeds City Council are only making it worse.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379308882_CRUMB_RUBBER_IN_SPORTS_PITCHES_IN_SCOTLAND_AND_THE_SCIENCEPOLICY_INTERFACE_CAN_CONTINUED_USE_BE_JUSTIFIED?showFulltext=1&linkId=6603c281a6d9fc55fd993427