Bradford has been praised by England’s top doctor for the way it is improving the community’s health, especially among children, by reducing air pollution.
Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, paid a fact-finding visit to the city in the spring for a first hand insight into the way it is breaking new ground in improving air quality.
Now, in his annual report that was published on Thursday December 8, he has heralded the partnership between Bradford Council, the Born in Bradford (BiB) research project based at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and public health teams as an example of best practice.
In his Bradford case study, Professor Whitty highlighted how research, collaboration and innovation had come to the fore as a force for good in combatting toxic air.
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer said:
“Everyone is affected by air pollution, and it is everyone’s problem.
“Air pollution has improved and will continue improving provided we are active in tackling it. We can and should go further – and it is technically possible to do so.”
He described how research into the levels of air pollution had uncovered the scale of the impact this was having on health inequalities within the Bradford population, and he praised the smog-busting measures put in place to improve air quality under its ground-breaking Clean Air Plan, and the Clear Air Zone (CAZ) that was launched in September.
Both initiatives are being spearheaded by the BiB City Collaboratory, which brings together a network of scientists, the local authority, policy leaders, communities and practitioners in order to evaluate the data and create solutions to the problems identified.
The CAZ is the third largest of its kind in the UK the first to begin charging non-compliant commercial vehicles in the North. It is also providing over £30m of financial support to local businesses to be able to upgrade and retrofit their vehicles. So far the CAZ has meant the all commercial buses and 96% of Bradford taxis are now compliant (over 90% reduction in pollution). The charges have also led to reductions in older dirtier commercial vehicles from outside the City coming into the zone. The biggest reductions in pollution will be at schools, many of which are on busy main roads.
Other proposed initiatives include traffic-calming measures close to schools, research into how behaviours in the home can effect indoor air quality, and BiB Breathes – a project which sees communities and schools work together to develop new ideas for improving pollution levels.
Research by the Born in Bradford team has revealed that around 500 people a year die from respiratory-related diseases, and over 41,000 people in the city have asthma – with over a third of those cases attributable to air pollution.
Its findings have also shown that the health of the people living in areas of Bradford with higher levels of deprivation is disproportionately affected by air pollution.
Professor Rosie McEachan, Director of Born in Bradford said: “For many years, Born in Bradford evidence has shone a spotlight on the devastating impacts of pollution on brain development and growth of children growing up in Bradford.
“This has been a driving force for positive change in the city to clean up our polluted air and we are pleased that our efforts have been highlighted by Prof Chris Whitty in his new report.
“We hope that other areas can learn from our approach, which should see pollution levels dramatically improve over the coming years”
Sarah Muckle, Director of Public Health Bradford said; “I am delighted that Sir Chris Whitty has included Bradford’s case study in his annual Chief Medical Officer’s report. The research conducted and the solutions put in place by Born in Bradford, Bradford Council and other key stakeholders such as the Clean Air Plan are vital to improving the health of people who live and work in the district.”
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Portfolio Holder for Healthy People and Places at City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council said; “As our case study shows, air pollution can have a seriously detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of our communities, especially those within more deprived areas. However, the research conducted by Born in Bradford and the initiatives put in place by the City Collaboratory as a result are having a positive impact in tackling the issue. It’s fantastic that this work has been recognised by the Chief Medical Officer in his annual report.”
You can read the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2022: air pollution here:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officers-annual-report-2022-air-pollution
