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<p>The Government is firmly committed to improving the UK’s air quality and ensure
we leave our environment in a better state than we inherited it. This is supported
by a £3.5billion plan to improve air quality.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have
required 61 local authorities to develop local plans to deliver compliance with nitrogen
dioxide limits as soon as possible. It is right that local authorities take the lead
in developing local air quality plans as they know their local area best. The Government
is supporting the local authorities with technical support in developing their plans
and has committed £475m through the Implementation Fund and Clean Air Fund to provide
them with funding for air quality improvements.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In South
Yorkshire Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council have been
required to develop a local plan and to date have been awarded £2,502,100 from the
Implementation Fund to date to help carry out the work needed to develop air quality
plans and to implement a number of early measures including: a project to install
rapid charging points at key locations across Sheffield; a project to purchase electric
taxis and lease them out to taxi drivers to raise awareness of the ULEV experience;
a project to adapt traffic signals on Abbeydale Road to reduce the occasions when
traffic stops, with a reduction in sitting traffic lowering emissions; and funding
for air quality communications. Further funding will be made available when they present
their final plans.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Additionally, since 2017 South Yorkshire
has received nearly £10m to improve air quality with Sheffield City Region awarded
£7,500,000 in 2017 to support active travel, Sheffield City Council awarded £1,946,800
through the Clean Bus Technology Fund 2017-19 to enable 117 buses to be retrofitted
with pollution-reducing technology, and £125,000 awarded to Barnsley Metropolitan
Borough Council through the air quality grant to improve local air quality in Barnsley
and Doncaster.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Local authorities currently have a range
of tools they can use to reduce local air pollution which includes the powers to introduce
a Clean Air Zone voluntarily. The Government also provides guidance and technical
support to local authorities via a dedicated local air quality management Helpdesk
and has provided an air quality toolkit for Directors of Public Health.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>Government has launched a consultation on a new Clean Air Strategy
seeking views on a wider range of national measures and more powers to local authorities
that can tackle non-transport sources of air pollution.</p><p> </p>
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