A group of residents from south Leeds have rallied the council to alter their plans for the city's Clean Air Zone to include areas such as Beeston, Middleton and Morley.

Leeds City Council submitted its final proposal to government in October which included everywhere within the city's Outer Ring Road and those parts of the city north of the M621 boundary.

The city must improve its air quality after the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) found the city to have unsafe levels of pollution.

However, the council's plans have since been rejected for being too expensive and it's back to the drawing board for the local authority.

There were suggestions early on that south Leeds would be included in the Clean Air Zone and local campaigners attempted to sway the city's decision makers at Wednesday's Full Council meeting at Civic Hall.

The Leeds Clean Air Zone will encompass everywhere inside the Leeds Outer Ring Road and the parts of the city that lie above the M621
The Leeds Clean Air Zone will encompass everywhere inside the Leeds Outer Ring Road and the parts of the city that lie above the M621
Some initial proposals for the Clean Air Zone did actually include parts of south Leeds
Some initial proposals for the Clean Air Zone did actually include parts of south Leeds

Ed Carlisle, who has led the campaign, said: "It seems totally upside-down that our communities - of all places - are set to be excluded from the zone.

"We're glad that some of the local councillors, who previously argued for the exclusion, seem to have had a change of heart.

We also wonder if the recent news from government might actually help us: it states a concern that the zone, as previously proposed, is not being targeted to the least well off - which is exactly our concern. We hope we can work with the Council, to turn this around."

What is the Clean Air Zone

The planned 'go slow' route includes Calverley Street
  • It will be a zone in central Leeds where the most polluting vehicles are charged
  • The owners of buses, heavy goods vehicles and coaches will have to pay £50 a day, while taxis and private hire vehicles will be charged £12.50 a day
  • But they will only be charged if their vehicles do not meet pre-determined emission standards
  • The boundary of the Clean Air Zone will be the Leeds Outer Ring Road
  • That means the city centre and several other areas, including Armley, Bramley, Headingley, Meanwood and Burley will all be in the zone

Wayne Dixon, another member of the campaign, added: "As it stands, south Leeds is getting a raw deal again.

"Whilst we're set to miss the Clean Air Zone, we're also being pushed to have things like the Stourton Park and Ride - which looks likely to drive up air pollution, as well as remove local green space."

Another member, Katrine Madsen, said: "We're told that our exclusion from the zone will only make a marginal difference to the air quality in south Leeds. However, when it comes to our health (and especially the health of our elders and young ones), we don't have any margins to give."

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