Stephen Morgan has criticised ‘shocking complacency’ on air pollution after a new dirty air map revealed Portsmouth has one of the highest proportions of polluted homes in the UK.
According to the map, produced by the non-profit group the Central Office of Public Interest (Copi) and Imperial College London, reveals that more than a third of Portsmouth homes endure the highest pollution levels. This is the most outside of Slough and London.
Nationally, more than 97% of addresses exceed WHO limits for at least one of three key pollutants, while 70% of addresses breach limits for all three.
In 2020, the Liberal Democrats on Portsmouth City Council faced criticism for shirking the size of their proposed clean air zone, creating a ‘corridor of air pollution’ through the City.
Mr Morgan repeatedly backed amendments to the Environment Bill in the Commons that would have set air quality targets in line with WHO recommendations. But Conservative Ministers refused to support them.
Air pollution can cause asthma, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. There is also emerging evidence it contributed to dementia and diabetes. In 2013 a landmark coroner’s ruling cited air pollution as a cause of death for a nine year old girl in south London.
Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“Air pollution is an invisible killer but Lib Dems running the council and Tories in Government have shown shocking complacency as the climate crisis deepens.
“Our densely populated city is now exposed to dangerous levels of dirty air because those in power haven’t done enough, as this independent report reveals.
“It was Labour that called the climate emergency in our city back in 2019. It’s well beyond time that further action is taken to tackle dirty air in Portsmouth. I will continue to campaign vocally to clean up our air, in our city and across the country. It’s what our communities deserve”.
