Birmingham: Two city areas exceed legal limits of nitrogen dioxide
Birmingham's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has made a "significant contribution" to reducing air pollution, but challenges still remain in two areas, warns the council.The CAZ was launched in 2021 as part of Birmingham City Council's plan to tackle poor air quality. It introduced daily fees for older vehicles driving in the city centre.A local authority report on the zone's impact said the city had some of the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) outside of London, with poor air quality responsible for about 900 premature deaths each year.Two city centre areas, Moor Street Queensway and the A38, had "ongoing exceedances" of the legal limit of NO2, it added.
The report, which summarised air quality data from 2023, said positive progress had been made in the city council's fight for cleaner air.The scheme appeared to discourage vehicles that did not meet its emissions standard from entering the zone, it added.Moor Street Queensway was dominated by "high volumes of bus traffic" and was understood to be the "busiest" bus interchange in the West Midlands, with more than 60 million bus trips per year.The CAZ team said it was working closely with Transport for West Midlands to find ways to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission buses that operate in the area.However, the A38 St Chads Queensway was "very, very close to the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide", warned Stephen Arnold, head of the clean air zone.Ideas being explored to improve air quality in the area included improvements to the traffic flow and a reduction in the volume of vehicles through proposed changes to the A38.There were also three locations on the A4540 Middleway, outside of the zone, which exceeded the legal limit of NO2, confirmed the report.Councillor Majid Mahmood said the local authority was looking to develop "robust responses to challenges" around the concerned areas.He said revenue the council made from the scheme was "carefully considered and reinvested in long-term strategic transport projects only" and supported the delivery of the Birmingham Transport Plan.Drivers of diesel cars manufactured before 2015 and petrol cars made before 2006 have to pay an £8 daily fee to drive inside the A4540 Middleway ring road.
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
28-05-2025
- ITV News
'Better than going clubbing': Why is the West Midlands the street racing capital of the UK?
If you have ever driven through the West Midlands, you might have seen a bright yellow sign, warning drivers that "car cruising and street racing is prohibited'". The signs are a reminder of a High Court injunction, banning street cruising in Birmingham and the Black Country. In 2019, Birmingham was named the "street racing capital of the UK' after figures from the DVLA showed the city had the most drivers convicted of motor racing. What is street racing/car cruising? Street racing is an illegal form of motor racing that takes place on public roads. It involves high-speed racing and other reckless driving manoeuvres, often organised through social media or other online channels. The events are dangerous, involving risks to participants, spectators, and other road users. Car cruising refers to gatherings of car enthusiasts, often involving driving slowly and deliberately, sometimes with the intention of showcasing vehicles or engaging in risky behaviour like speeding or stunts. How did the Midlands become such a hot-spot for street racing? 1986 From 1986 to 1990, Birmingham hosted the Superprix Circuit - a racing event on closed public roads through the city. The event was hugely popular, gaining live television coverage and large crowds. However, it only lasted for five years when the organisation was put out to tender after no one bid to host the 1990 race. That marked the end of England's only legal street race. 2016 In October 2016, Birmingham City Council secured a High Court injunction prohibiting street cruising in the city. The injunction bans people from participating in, organising, or promoting street cruising events, which include driving in convoy, racing, or performing stunts. Included in the injunction are limits on events that cause excessive noise, pose a danger to road users, or damage property, and means that organisers and attendees of car cruising meets can be prosecuted. 2018 In May 2018, Atif Qasim became the first person to be jailed for flouting the car cruising injunction. He received a seven-month sentence after reaching up to 90mph in his Volkswagen Golf along the A47 Heartlands Parkway near Star City. 2019 In July 2019, West Midlands Police released drone footage of the moment they broke up an illegal street racing meet of around a hundred people on the A38 in Birmingham. Spectators had lined the streets to watch the race on Sunday, 14 July, between Minworth and Bassets Pole, and Heartland Parkway in Nechells. Roadblocks were put in place, and stop checks carried out on drivers. In the same year, the DVLA released figures which showed Birmingham had the most convictions for "motor racing on the highway" in the country. 2024 At Birmingham High Court on 27 February 2024, a High Court order banning street cruising across Birmingham was granted to Birmingham City Council. A full three-year injunction is now in place until 27 February 2027, replacing an interim order made in December 2022. The ban also covers Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall. Anyone caught cruising - even as a passenger - can now face up to two years in prison, a £5,000 fine or have their vehicle seized on the spot. 2025 In the last 6 months: 15 people have been arrested for breaching the injunction. £40,000 in fines have been handed out. 640 days of suspended sentences were given to drivers. So far this year, officers have issued more than 90 dispersal orders at street racing hotspots. Anyone refusing to leave can be forcibly removed or arrested. The arrests were made as part of "Operation Hercules" - a campaign to arrest people involved in street racing, car cruising, or anti-social or dangerous driving. "It's better than going out clubbing" in Birmingham about why they are involved in it, despite the dangers. One driver told us "I love cars. It's better than going out clubbing. This is a hobby. It can be safe, it can be dangerous. We try to keep it as safe as we can so everyone can enjoy it. "Adrenaline is a big thing. Mainly, it's because I feel like I have a connection with my car. It brings me happiness. "I know that I will drive sensibly and make sure I'm not doing anything erratic."
BBC News
19-05-2025
- BBC News
Permits considered near Birmingham hospital and university
Residents parking permits might be introduced to stop people parking in streets near a busy City Council said a number of roads near the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site suffered "significant pressures on parking".It said it was also working with the university and hospital to encourage as many people as possible to make their trips by public transport, cycling and are 17 roads being considered for inclusion in the parking permit scheme, which would operate between 09:00 and 17:00, Monday to Saturday. The council said increased car ownership and recent expansions at the university and hospital site had led to "a negative impact on access for deliveries, buses and waste vehicles, and on the safety of all road users".The proposal is part of a hospitals and university campus masterplan, an objective of which is "to reduce the demand for car based travel to the campus, and address the impact of congestion and on-street parking on the local community".The council has published more details on its website and has given people until 5 June to comment. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Scotsman
17-05-2025
- Scotsman
Edinburgh traffic: Where Edinburgh ranks as UK's 10 cities with most roadworks named
The UK cities with the longest duration of road closures in 2024 have been named – and Edinburgh residents won't be surprised that Scotland's capital occupies a lofty position on the list. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It comes after experts at online tyre retailer, Blackcircles, sent Freedom of Information requests to UK local authorities to determine which areas had the most roadworks in 2024, the total number of road closures due to roadworks and the duration of each roadwork project carried out. Once the information was obrained, Blackcircles compiled a Top 10, which you can see below. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Aberdeen is top for the local authorities with the longest road closures. Last year, road closures lasted for an average of 93 calendar days. The longest road works in the area are each expected to finish after around 365 calendar days. Newcastle upon Tyne is second among local authorities with the longest road closures. This is surprising given that during 2024, the local council reported just two road closures per 10,000. Yet, despite this, road closures lasted an average of 88 calendar days. The longest-running road closure in the area took around 548 calendar days. In third place, Edinburgh, which, on average, had roads closed for around 59 calendar days. The longest road closure in the area was on South St David Street, which will last around 547 calendar days, and is expected to end later in 2025. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Outside of London, Liverpool is the UK city where motorists face the most roadworks. In 2024, 31,765 roadworks were carried out in the northwest city, which is equivalent to 631 per 10,000 people. Blackpool is the UK area with the fewest number of roadworks. In 2024, 41 roadworks were carried out, which equates to 3 per 10,000 people. In 2024, Birmingham City Council closed 10,463 roads to carry out maintenance. This is equivalent to 90 per 10,000 people, higher than any other local authority. Edinburgh tops the list of UK areas with the highest average duration of roadworks. In 2024, the average duration of maintenance projects in the Scottish capital lasted for 80 calendar days. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad You can view the full research again here – UK areas with the longest duration of road closures: 1 - Aberdeen City Council - average length of road closures (calendar days) 93; 2 - Newcastle upon Tyne City Council, 88; 3 - City of Edinburgh Council, 59; 4 - Leicester City Council, 55; 5 - Southwark Borough Council, 53; 6 - Swindon Borough Council, 33; 7 - City of London Corporation, 26; 8 - Leeds City Council, 21; 9 - Ealing Borough Council, 20; 10 - Lewisham Borough Council, 18.
