Air pollution causes one in 20 deaths in Bolton, new figures show.

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities figures show air pollution was responsible for 5.8 per cent of the deaths of people in Bolton aged over 30 in 2022.

This was up from 5.4 per cent the year before but was below pre-pandemic levels of 6.5 per cent.

The figures showed significant regional inequality across England, with 17 of the 18 areas with the worst air pollution death rates in London.

The other was Watford, a commuter town in the East of England.

In London in 2022, 7.1 per cent of the deaths of people aged 30 or above were due to air pollution.

At the other end of the scale, the 11 areas with the lowest proportion of air pollution-related deaths were all in the South West, with air pollution responsible for 4.6 per cent of deaths in the region.

In the North West, 5.6 per cent of deaths in 2022 were due to air pollution.

Cllr Sean Fielding Bolton Council’s cabinet member for health said: “Clean air is a public health issue and these statistics, which show that five per cent of deaths locally are attributable to air pollution, are shocking.

“Inevitably these deaths will disproportionately affect the less well off, as those are people who tend to live near more heavily trafficked roads and in neighbourhoods where people can only afford to drive older vehicles.

“Over time air quality will improve as older vehicles reach the end of their lives and come off our roads. However, we do need to take steps to accelerate this process.

“I support Mayor Andy Burnham’s progress on updating the bus fleet by purchasing electric buses for the Bee Network and his proposals for an incentive-based scheme to support those who drive older vehicles to replace them.

“These measures can improve air quality without the need to introduce any form of charging levied on working people.

“Finally, I’d always encourage people to think twice about whether driving short journeys is necessary, or whether trips around the corner or to the local shopping parade can be done on foot or by bicycle.

“These forms of travel have further public health benefits beyond improving air quality and also reduce congestion on our roads for those who have no choice but to drive.”

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Vicki Attenborough Green Party General Election candidate for Bolton West said: “The levels of air pollution deaths in Bolton are really concerning. 

“Vehicle exhaust and particulates from tyre and brake dust are major contributors to air pollution.

“That is why elected Greens would push to tackle this by encouraging active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling), encouraging public transport and ramping up the introduction of electric vehicles.

“Many people would welcome the opportunity to be able to do more journeys on foot or by bicycle but feel that the roads are just not safe enough.

“That is why we would push to invest £2B nationally in new cycleways and footpaths.

“Some great progress has been made in parts of Bolton with support from Bolton Active Travel Forum. We need to build on this. It would also increase physical activity and improve health.

“More use of greener public transport would not only reduce air pollution but would make our streets safer by reducing the number of cars on the road.

“Greens are pushing for rail and bus travel to receive and extra £10bn over the course of the next parliament to make public transport reliable, frequent, accessible and affordable for everyone, including free bus travel for under-18's.

“The Green Party has pledged to bring in legislation to improve air quality standards and reduce pollution.

“Under a "Clean Air Act" we would encourage active travel and end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2027, and their use entirely by 2035. Everyone should have the right to breathe clean air.”

The Government says it wants to halve pollution levels of fine particles to reach an annual mean concentration of 10 micrograms per cubic metre by 2040.

The World Health Organization's current advice says this figure should be no more than five micrograms per cubic metre.

A government spokesperson said it has made "significant progress improving air quality since 2010".

They said: "We have delivered significant reductions in emissions – with fine particulate matter falling by 24 per cent, and nitrogen oxides down by 48 per cent.

"We also met our targets to reduce emissions for all five key pollutants in the latest reporting year."

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