A congested junction approaching the Coast Road is by far the most polluted spot in Newcastle, new figures have revealed.
Emissions levels were more than double the legal maximum at the junction of Stephenson Road and Jesmond Park West, just before the Corner House Hotel, in 2021.
And, according to a council report, football fans outside St James’ Park will have been breathing in the worst quality air in the city centre – with Strawberry Place among 12 locations in Newcastle where average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels last year exceeded the limit of 40 micrograms per cubic metre of air (μg/m3).
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The Tyne Bridge, Blackett Street and Percy Street also feature on the list of pollution hotspots, ahead of new Clean Air Zone (CAZ) tolls being launched in the city centre next year. However, emissions levels were lower in those long-standing problem areas compared to previous years – while air pollution on Gosforth High Street, which recorded the city’s worst numbers in 2017, was back within the legal range.
This year’s highest average pollution reading came on the busy, four-lane Stephenson Road in Heaton, with the figure of 97.7μg/m3 far exceeding any other in the city. Manor Park ward councillor Greg Stone was left “shocked and concerned” by the data and accused Newcastle City Council of being “inept” in tackling air quality.
Coun Stone, a Liberal Democrat, claimed the council had made a “major error” by excluding the Coast Road from the incoming Clean Air Zone on the basis that it was expected to become compliant with pollution limits by 2021 – something it did come close to achieving. He added that talk of the council creating a new bus corridor on the Coast Road, which has been suggested under recently-published civic centre plans, was “well intentioned” but risked causing further tailbacks and even greater emissions.
Coun Stone said: "I am shocked and concerned by the data. We have always known that the section of the Coast Road between the Cradlewell and the Corner House has very high traffic levels and queuing traffic creating emissions. Local councillors have been pressing the council for action to make the pedestrian crossing at this location safer.
“It is clear that crossing users face significant health risks in terms of road safety and also from air pollution. I am troubled by the citywide picture, which in my view shows that the council's approach to air quality has been inept in recent years.”
The readings at areas including the Tyne Bridge and Blackett Street are noticeably lower than in previous years, though they are still outside legal levels. Campaign group Space for Gosforth said that could be due to reduced traffic in the city centre, with 2021 still having included periods of Covid lockdown, and bus companies investing in cleaner vehicles ahead of the CAZ charges coming into force next January.
It added that the drop in emissions on Gosforth High Street “thoroughly debunks” claims that the controversial bollards installed there as the road was cut down to two lanes in 2020 would lead to more congestion and pollution. The group warned that drivers who use the Coast Road every day “will be exposing themselves to significant levels of pollution” and that it would be “very hard” to reduce emissions there without a drop in the huge volume of traffic.
Labour councillor Jane Byrne, the council’s cabinet member for transport and air quality, said: “These figures show that in some parts of the city, levels of air pollution are unacceptably high and action is needed to address this. We are putting in place a number of measures to help – including the introduction of a Clean Air Zone from January 2023 and actions to reduce traffic levels in residential areas and outside schools - and continue to look for ways to improve air quality.
“What is encouraging and should be noted is that the figures over time do show that the number of areas where pollution has exceeded legal limits is continuing to reduce, along with the level of exceedance. The number of locations where the NO2 limit has been breached reduced from 33 in 2019 to 12 in 2021, although we will need to see figures for 2022 to better understand what impact reduced traffic levels during the pandemic had.”
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