Co-signed letter: to Councillors Ellesmere and Hicks
copied to Phil Smart, Alasdair Ross, Richard Rout, James Reeder and Andrew Urquhart
Sent 26th March 2021
Dear Councillors Hicks and Ellesmere,
Many thanks for taking the time to respond to our letters to you about tackling the current illegal levels of air pollution in Ipswich. We were heartened to learn of the many things you have both told us about that are already in place to help with this problem, many for quite some time. In particular, we are glad to see steps being taken to extend air quality monitoring, to use Local Plans to direct development towards sustainable communities, to encourage schools to include air quality issues in their curriculums and to apply for Modeshift Stars accreditation. We are also glad to see early steps towards enabling the currently very low uptake of electric vehicles to increase, as well as excluding more polluting vehicles from the taxi fleet and so on.
We would love to believe that all these positive steps would be enough, but Freedom on Information Request tells us air pollution will remain illegally high and this isn’t contradicted by any new information from you. I know both councils accept Public Health England’s assessment which tragically means so far around 800 unnecessary deaths attributable to poor air quality since the first AQAP in 2008 plus suffering from the Alzheimer’s, heart, lung and brain diseases. With your current plans another 63 Ipswich people will die unnecessarily this year. Air Quality is also worsening the impact of Covid particularly amongst BME and vulnerable communities.
So what more needs to be done? Well, we appear to have a consensus that adequate monitoring is important, that transport emissions are a key factor, though not the only contributor and that exhorting behavioural change by individuals and businesses is not enough by itself. Above all, we agree that having a clear and comprehensive plan is a prerequisite for progress.
As you both acknowledge, the legal responsibility for such a plan rests with the respective organisations you lead. However, we have suggested seven points it would need to cover:
Inform and advise people of the situation and of steps they can take;
Formulate a clear and actionable plan with SCC and IBC in conjunction with the other District Councils and others, as required by law - this should show a clear and measurable path to safe and legal air quality;
Implement the plan, giving priority to the actions with greatest impact;
Engage with and involve the community in the above steps;
Review all current spending, plans and strategies to ensure that these do not conflict with the objective of reducing air pollution;
Lobby central government for funding and supporting action;
Continually measure and review progress and take action as necessary to maintain progress.
We would suggest you begin with step 1. This would mean quickly starting a sustained awareness campaign telling the truth about air pollution, its health impacts, what we, as individuals and organisations, can do about it, and your plans for action as Local Authorities. This will help us, the community, to change our behaviour, reduce pollution and reduce the unnecessary deaths and suffering whilst you take the lead on key Local Authority interventions. This should not require a large budget and will start the process of saving lives.
Whilst we accept that informing people of the gravity of the problem is unlikely to be enough, it is essential that people are alerted and enabled to take action for themselves. It may also, we suggest, be a necessary step to avoid legal jeopardy in the light of the coroner's verdict in the recent tragic case in Croydon.
To know and not tell would be a terrible legacy.
As ever, we stand ready to help and to provide input and support to whatever processes you put in place to deal with this imperative.
Leo Borwick
for
Women’s Institute – Ipswich (Cake and Revolution), a local group with a mission to bring all that the WI should be & more, to local women….all in the hope that we can strive to make a difference in our local Community!
Ipswich Citizens Advice, a local charity providing free, impartial & confidential advice on rights & responsibilities.
Woodbridge Road Pharmacy, NHS Community Pharmacy and full-service Travel Clinic serving the people of Ipswich.
Cycle Ipswich, a cycle campaigning group for the Greater Ipswich area, aiming to get improvements to walking and cycling infrastructure, such as protected cycle tracks and quieter neighbourhoods.
Charles Stanley Wealth Managers, providing financial advice to its wide cliental.
Dove Pub Inn, multi award winning freehouse including Great British Pub Awards Cask Ale Pub of the Year 2013.
Grazing Sheep Café, serving award winning breakfasts, lunch, brunch and coffee overlooking the idyllic Ipswich marina.
Start! Moving Ipswich, an environmental and traffic think tank.
Ipswich Friends of the Earth part of a movement creating a safer climate, flourishing nature, and healthy air, water and food, now and for future generations. Campaigning for change in our community to make a difference to the environment locally, nationally, and globally.
Ipswich CAN campaigning for legal air in Ipswich.
Suffolk UNITE Community serving its members.
East Anglian Copdock Bike Show, campaigning for free motorcycle parking in towns and running an annual show bringing 10,000 people into Ipswich with funds going to good causes.
SuffolkYoga.com lessons, workshops, 1-1, corporate. Breathe, stretch, smile.
Clean Air for East Suffolk campaigning for clean air
Ipswich Unitarian Meeting House trustees on behalf of the congregation membership