Manchester Withington MP Jeff Smith is supporting a network of parents and carers in Greater Manchester who are campaigning to protect children from illegal and harmful levels of air pollution.
Breathing dirty air can stunt the growth of children’s lungs, particular those children living with asthma (1 in 11 in the UK). Pollution is also a driver of health inequalities as children living in the most deprived areas are four times more likely to have underdeveloped lungs.
Road transport is one of the main sources of harmful levels of air pollution across Greater Manchester. The Government has been taken to court three times in three years over its failure to put in place effective plans to bring this type of pollution under control, with NGOs such as Client Earth arguing that they are passing the buck onto cash-strapped local authorities instead.
The Clean Air Parents’ Network in Greater Manchester seeks to promote understanding of the serious health risks associated with air pollution among parents and inspire action through sharing stories, experiences and skills to influence decision-makers.
‘We need to do everything we can to protect children from the dangers of air pollution, and that starts with understanding the risks.
As new plans to tackle air pollution across Greater Manchester are about to be unveiled, parents and carers are uniting to demand action clean up our air.
This network is a great example of how communities of people can be brought together, in order to work with local politicians.”