Proposed by Cllr Tidball

Labour member motion

The Coroner’s verdict last month that the death of nine-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah in 2013 was caused by air pollution, the first time this has been listed as the cause of death in the UK, has brought sharply into focus the health emergency caused by poor air quality.

This Council notes with deep sorrow Ella’s death.

Air pollution is already a dangerous threat to our communities’ health; the current pandemic is making a bad situation worse, with deaths from Covid more prevalent amongst those exposed to higher levels of air pollution¹. The effects of poor air quality aggravate existing intersecting inequalities, with Black and Minority Ethnic people and those from more deprived communities being far more likely to be exposed to higher levels of pollution and thus suffer worse health outcomes².

In Oxford the City Council has taken great strides to address the problem and is implementing a Zero Emission Zone, EV charging infrastructure and proposals to cut overall traffic levels across the City through the Connecting Oxford scheme. But more needs to be done.

Short car journeys in particular dramatically increase children’s exposure to air pollution, doubling pollution emitted from vehicles³. Children in highly polluted areas are four times more likely to have reduced lung function in adulthood. Improvements to air quality now can reverse this effect⁴. Encouraging Active Travel as part of an active lifestyle is critical to tackling childhood inactivity and promoting sustainable travel - both health and environmental necessities.

This Council believes urgent action is needed. Whilst Oxfordshire County Council has committed to trialling School Streets for three schools in Oxford, the speed and coverage of implementation is insufficient. School Streets must be integral to our wider ambitious proposals to reduce car traffic and encourage a switch to active transport, including Controlled Parking Zones, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and better cycle infrastructure.

School Streets is an effective policy to help tackle the active and present threat of air pollution to the health of children, reduce health inequalities and combat the climate crisis. A study of 16 Schools Street sites shows a reduction in the number of motor vehicles, an increased use of active travel and improved road safety⁵.

This Council therefore:

1.     Expresses our unequivocal support for School Streets as a mechanism to encourage a modal shift to active travel and tackle air pollution as part of a strategic approach to cutting traffic levels.

2.     Asks the Leader to request Oxfordshire County Council, the transport authority, to

a)    ensure the delivery of the Connecting Oxford proposals;

b)    prioritise within its budget the roll out of School Streets across Oxford ;

c)     use all available funding mechanisms, including activation funds from the EATF* on promoting active travel within schools, including using safe off-road cycle tracks, helping schools design active travel plans; and

d)    work with partners to ensure every child in the city has the chance to learn to cycle, embedding cycling as a habit and means of active travel.

Notes

* Emergency Active Travel Fund

1.     reference - www.ons.gov.uk  2020-08-13 Does exposure to air pollution increase the risk of dying from the coronavirus covid19

2.     Reference - www.ons.gov.uk  2020-08-13 Does exposure to air pollution increase the risk of dying from the coronavirus covid19

3.     Reference - https://airqualitynews.com 2018/05/10/ drivers-urged-to-ditch-cars-for-short-journeys

4.     reference – download www.rcplondon.ac.uk ‘every breath we take: lifelong impact of air pollution’

5.     reference - https://www.napier.ac.uk   school-streets-closure-traffic-displacement-literature-review-final2.pdf

Cllr Tidball, seconded by Cllr Aziz proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

An amendment as set out in the briefing note proposed by Cllr Gant, seconded by Cllr Landell Mills, was debated and lost on being put to the vote.

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

The Coroner’s verdict last month that the death of nine-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah in 2013 was caused by air pollution, the first time this has been listed as the cause of death in the UK, has brought sharply into focus the health emergency caused by poor air quality.

This Council notes with deep sorrow Ella’s death.

Air pollution is already a dangerous threat to our communities’ health; the current pandemic is making a bad situation worse, with deaths from Covid more prevalent amongst those exposed to higher levels of air pollution¹. The effects of poor air quality aggravate existing intersecting inequalities, with Black and Minority Ethnic people and those from more deprived communities being far more likely to be exposed to higher levels of pollution and thus suffer worse health outcomes².

In Oxford the City Council has taken great strides to address the problem and is implementing a Zero Emission Zone, EV charging infrastructure and proposals to cut overall traffic levels across the City through the Connecting Oxford scheme. But more needs to be done.

Short car journeys in particular dramatically increase children’s exposure to air pollution, doubling pollution emitted from vehicles³. Children in highly polluted areas are four times more likely to have reduced lung function in adulthood. Improvements to air quality now can reverse this effect⁴. Encouraging Active Travel as part of an active lifestyle is critical to tackling childhood inactivity and promoting sustainable travel - both health and environmental necessities.

This Council believes urgent action is needed. Whilst Oxfordshire County Council has committed to trialling School Streets for three schools in Oxford, the speed and coverage of implementation is insufficient. School Streets must be integral to our wider ambitious proposals to reduce car traffic and encourage a switch to active transport, including Controlled Parking Zones, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and better cycle infrastructure.

School Streets is an effective policy to help tackle the active and present threat of air pollution to the health of children, reduce health inequalities and combat the climate crisis. A study of 16 Schools Street sites shows a reduction in the number of motor vehicles, an increased use of active travel and improved road safety⁵.

This Council therefore:

1.     Expresses our unequivocal support for School Streets as a mechanism to encourage a modal shift to active travel and tackle air pollution as part of a strategic approach to cutting traffic levels.

2.     Asks the Leader to request Oxfordshire County Council, the transport authority, to

a)    ensure the delivery of the Connecting Oxford proposals;

b)    prioritise within its budget the roll out of School Streets across Oxford ;

c)     use all available funding mechanisms, including activation funds from the Emergency Active Travel Fund on promoting active travel within schools, including using safe off-road cycle tracks, helping schools design active travel plans; and

d)     work with partners to ensure every child in the city has the chance to learn to cycle, embedding cycling as a habit and means of active travel.