Newcastle's Stephenson Road a nitrogen dioxide pollution hotspot
A city may have to wait 20 years to cut pollution levels to legal limits because of issues with a single road.Stephenson Road in Heaton, Newcastle, has high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and difficulties tackling the problem means the city is not forecast to meet targets until as late as 2045 -13 years behind the rest of England.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said one street could cause an entire area to be considered in breach of legal pollution limits and Tyneside had a particular "localised hotspot".Newcastle City Council identified that as Stephenson Road and said it "remained committed" to tackling its high NO2 levels.
NO2 is a toxic gas which exacerbates asthma, impedes lung development and raises the risk of lung cancer.In response to a parliamentary question, Defra said 13 urban areas in England with a population greater than 250,000 exceeded the annual mean limit value for NO2 in 2023.These included Tyneside, Greater London and the Bristol urban area.
The department said it did not hold "up-to-date detailed modelled projections" on the impact of current policies in reducing NO2 concentrations, but current estimates suggested all failing regions would comply by 2032, except for Tyneside.It would meet the target by 2045 at the latest, Defra added.A Newcastle City Council spokesman said Stephenson Road experienced high pollution due to its "topography", as well as it being "a main bus route, busy junction and main route connecting North Tyneside into Newcastle".They also noted nearby residential streets did not exceed legal limits for the pollutant.
Pollution trap
Prof Margaret Bell at Newcastle University said there could be several reasons why the problem was so bad at this particular site.In addition to the heavy traffic the road experienced, it was also very close to a grade-separated roundabout, she said, which "traps the pollution"."There's no ventilation under that roundabout," she said. "So the pollution will be building up and going out at the sides."Buildings around this "canyon" also sheltered the area from wind, she said, further cutting the level of pollution that could be dispersed.Also as the roads at the site are on hills, cars are forced to accelerate which produces more pollution, according to Prof Bell.The council said it was working with the government's Joint Air Quality Unit to tackle pollution issues on Stephenson Road, but it was not possible to "predict a precise date" when levels would become compliant in Newcastle.
The road sits outside of the city's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) which was introduced in 2023. The local authority said data published since the launch of CAZ suggested "an overall improvement" in air pollution.Further, both Defra and the council said a transition to low emission vehicles should lead to air pollution levels falling faster.The city council spokesperson said: "We know that poor air quality is harmful to everyone's health and we remain committed to tackling areas where we are still seeing unacceptably high levels of NO2."
Follow BBC Newcastle on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
4 hours ago
- Powys County Times
New bluetongue rules 'impossible burden' on farmers
The new rules for bluetongue would place an 'impossible cost burden' on farmers according to a Powys MP. MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, Steve Witherden, said that he is concerned about the potential spread of the disease but that it could not be at the cost of farmers who cross the Wales-England border. The new rules would require sheep crossing into Wales to be tested for the blue tongue virus, regardless of whether they are vaccinated, which can cost anywhere from £40-£70 per animal. This could lead to huge bills with one farmer telling the County Times that it would cost him as much as £25,000 to move his flock. According to NFU Cymru, over 550 farms lie in both England and Wales, with many of them being in Powys, whose eastern edge makes up about half of the 160-mile border between the two countries. 'I am deeply concerned about the potential spread of bluetongue and believe we need a workable solution to contain its spread, and protect livestock and farmers,' said Mr Witherden. 'I realise that there are a great many aspects of the management of this disease to consider by DEFRA and Welsh Government, but the rules they collectively impose must not make farming life impossible for farmers with cross border farms. 'Is it really sensible that a farmer has to test an animal because it moves from one field to another on their farm, when that field border is the Welsh/English border?' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the Oswestry Advertizer website Advert-light access Reader rewards Mr Witherden said he would be 'strongly encouraging Welsh Government and DEFRA to reach a sensible and workable solution for both cross border farms and for transporting animals where the road passes from Wales'. He added: 'I am continuing to stay in regular contact with the FUW, NFU Cymru and NFU in London. I will be listening to concerns and pressing for sensible and affordable solutions to help farmers deal with the practical reality of cross border farms and the costs and rules associated with testing. 'We also need fast access to inoculation for livestock. 'It is paramount that we have a practical set of clear and well communicated rules and that we take all the precautions necessary to ensure that this disease does not spread.'
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Bird flu outbreak confirmed in West Yorkshire poultry
A case of bird flu has been confirmed in poultry in West virus was discovered at a site near Ravensthorpe, near Mirfield, on 11 June, according to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).An almost two-mile (3km) protection zone and a six-mile (10km) surveillance zone cordon have been put in place around the said all the birds at the property would be humanely culled. It is the latest outbreak in the county of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 advised bird keepers to check on the interactive map, to see if they are impacted and read the housing measure declaration, which explains the December, all poultry and other captive birds in affected parts of England have had to be kept indoors to prevent the spread of bird virus, which affects poultry and wild birds, spreads through contaminated feed and water, or through birds' droppings and saliva. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
13-06-2025
- BBC News
Bird flu case confirmed in gull on Kent coast near Margate
A case of bird flu has been detected in a gull on the Kent coast, Thanet District Council has said.A spokesperson for the council confirmed that a single case of bird flu had been identified in Botany Bay, near warned residents and visitors to not handle dead birds or any other wildlife in the area and to keep pets away from dead 60 cases of bird flu have been reported in England since November 2024, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Any dead wildlife found should be reported to the council, the spokesperson added.
