Clean air zone brings £180m health benefits - study

The number of GP appointments booked for people suffering from breathing difficulties has dropped by nearly 600 a month since a clean air zone (CAZ) was introduced in Bradford, a study has claimed.

Bradford Council was ordered to improve the city's air quality by the government in 2018, with a CAZ launched in 2022.

Since then, the zone has generated an estimated £180m in benefits, according to the study by The Centre for Health Economics at the University of York.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, executive member for healthy people and places, said the CAZ was "improving long-term health outcomes".

Researchers also found there were 134 fewer GP visits a month for people with problems with their cardiovascular health.

As part of the clean air initiative, commercial vehicles that cause the most pollution are charged a fee to enter Bradford and parts of Shipley.

The study claimed that before the introduction of the CAZ, air pollution was a contributing factor for 35% of GP visits for breathing issues and 49% of A&E visits for conditions including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The study said cleaner air meant healthier communities and significant financial savings, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said this included preventing people from falling ill with serious respiratory and heart conditions, which could leave them unable to work and cost health services millions.

A spokesperson from the York Centre for Health Economics said: "This exploratory analysis suggests that the health and wider economic benefits of Bradford's Clean Air Zone may be substantial.

"The CAZ appears to be an effective population wide environmental policy, that can deliver measurable improvements in quality of life and economic sustainability."

Ferriby said: "By encouraging cleaner vehicles and reducing pollution, the CAZ is now proven to be protecting vulnerable residents, improving long-term health outcomes, and supporting a healthier, more sustainable Bradford for future generations."

The study, which built on earlier research into the impact of the CAZ by NHS Health Researchers at Born in Bradford, was discussed at a council meeting on Tuesday.

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