Successful efforts to reduce air pollution across Southampton could help people live longer, a senior councillor has said.
The city has seen a 30 per cent reduction in nitrogen dioxide levels from 2019 to 2024 after being ordered to take action by the government.
Southampton City Council was placed on the Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) nitrogen dioxide programme in 2017.
Members of the council’s cabinet approved an exit plan from the programme having met the requirements set by a ministerial directive.
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Following this decision at a meeting on Tuesday, March 24, the plan will be submitted to JAQU.
John Savage, councillor responsible for environment and net zero, said: “Most of us will know that nitrogen dioxide causes severe inflammation of the lungs and airways and it really has negative impacts on the health outcomes of people and also on life expectancies in the city.
“We have struggled with a number of things to do with deprivations in the city, so the poor air quality was exacerbating a lot of negative impacts on our population.”
More than £7.1 million was awarded to the local authority to support its work on lowering nitrogen dioxide levels.
It ended up spending around £6.2 million on various projects.
The unused funding will be returned to the JAQU.
Measures taken by the council included investing in major cycling infrastructure, retrofitting 145 buses to meet emissions standards, upgrading traffic light signals to reduce congestion and a low emission taxi project.
It also saw schemes to consolidate delivery and freight in partnership with the Port of Southampton.
Cllr Savage said further work going forward would see a focus on tackling drivers idling in vehicles outside schools and investing in more electric vehicle infrastructure.
Outlining the impact of cleaner air, he said: “I think there are going to be children who are born around now who will not be getting asthma who otherwise may have done or people in the city who may well live longer because of this and this is something we can really be proud of.”