Bring Buses Back Into Public Ownership

We support the Mayor of the West Midlands plans to bring buses back into public ownership, and we encourage the Mayor to ensure Birmingham and the West Midlands have the cleanest & greenest buses available, particularly on the 8 & 11 routes in Birmingham, and improve bus coverage that connects our communities to key services including health services.

The 11 route carries 50,000 passengers each day, serving 233 school colleges and universities, 69 leisure & community facilities, 40 pubs, 40 pubs, 19 retail centres, six hospitals, and one prison.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Midlands_bus_route_11

Adopt WHO Exposure Limits for Pollutants

As a minimum, local, regional and national Governments should adopt the WHO exposure limits for the main pollutants of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter.

The World Health Organization’s Air quality guidelines (AQG) serve as a global target for national, regional and city governments to work towards improving their citizen’s health by reducing air pollution.

Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/what-are-the-who-air-quality-guidelines

Install Air Quality Monitoring Facilities

We call upon Network Rail to install air quality monitoring facilities at New Street Station and ensure the collated data is shared as live open data, and ask that they work with national and regional government to improve air quality on platforms. .

According the UoB research Nox, PM2.5 & PM10 are at very high levels and in significantly in excess of the various EU limits.

Source: https://pureoai.bham.ac.uk/ws/files/47501037/Hickman_et_al_Evaluation_air_quality_Journal_Rail_Rapid_Transit.pdf

Replace Waste Incinerator in Tyseley

We call upon Birmingham City Council to bring forward plans to replace the waste incinerator located in Tyseley at the earliest opportunity.

The Tyseley plant, however, is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in Birmingham and the third largest in the West Midlands.

Source: https://birminghameastside.com/the-tyseley-incinerator-birminghams-never-ending-carbon-machine/

Curb Emissions From Wood Burning Stoves & Open Fires

We call upon national, regional and local government to bring forward coordinated plans to reduce wood burning, including enforcement of smoke controlled areas to curb emissions from wood burning stoves and open fires.

We support the call from Mums 4 Lungs asking the government to:

  • Phase out the sale of new wood stoves by 2027, and ban the use of wood burners unless the only source of heat by 2032 at the latest.
  • Label wood burning stoves as harmful to better educate consumers.
  • Provide effective powers to local authorities to stop unlawful burning, with all wood burners registered with local authorities to enable enforcement.
  • Launch a public health campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of wood burning stoves.

UoB researchers have found wood burning creates major PM2.5 air pollution issues across the West Midlands.

Source: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2024/woodburning-creates-major-pm2.5-air-pollution-issue-in-west-midlands

Reduce Pollution Caused by High Volumes of Traffic on the M6

We call on the government to work with local and regional leaders to tackle the high levels of pollution caused by high volumes of traffic on the M6 passing through Birmingham.

Gravely Hill joint second highest % mortality attributable to air pollution (2019) according to University of Birmingham.

Speed Up Delivery of the Birmingham Transport Plan

We call upon BCC to speed up the delivery of the Birmingham Transport Plan including the roll out of more Car Free School Streets, the reallocation of road space towards active travel and more reliable bus service.

Source: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/btp