"Significant" drop in pollution due to Sheffield Clean Air Zone - council
Charges were introduced for the most polluting vehicles last February
Sheffield has seen a "significant" drop in pollution levels following the introduction of a Clean Air Zone in the city centre - according to official council data.
Air quality analysis from January to December 2023 showed nitrogen dioxide levels fell by 16% in the area where vehicle charges apply.
There was a reduction of 21% across the Sheffield district.
Since February 2023, drivers of the most heavily polluting vehicles have had to pay charges when using city centre roads and the ring road.
But some businesses have criticised the measure, claiming they have driven customers away and they've had to replace fleets of vehicles with electric models.
The charges do not apply to passenger cars and motorbikes.
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair for the Transport and Regeneration Committee for Sheffield City Council, said: “I’m really pleased to share that air quality in the city is improving.
"Data collected as part of the Clean Air Zone shows that air pollution caused by vehicles has dropped right across the city, and we’re seeing that more and more people and business are making the switch to cleaner vehicles – it’s a fantastic achievement for Sheffield."
“In the coming year we expect to see even further improvements in our air quality, but there’s much more to be done to make sure that Sheffield’s air quality levels move closer to those recommended by the World Health Organisation.”
Greg Fell, Director of Public Health for Sheffield City Council, said:
“Whilst our first look at the annual average data is very positive, this is no time to slow down on clean air initiatives.
"We know that there are some locations across Sheffield that are still in exceedance of legal air quality limits, so there’s more to be done to improve the air we breathe."