Doing our part – the clean way, says Allen Brett, Leader of the Council

Allen Brett, Leader of the Council

​The health and well-being of us all has been one of my top priorities and something that I've been harping on about since I took office.

Dirty air is a major cause of ill health and early death in our community. Just a few hours' exposure to air pollution can irritate your eyes, nose and throat. But a few years' exposure can lead to you developing heart and lung disease.

And the most vulnerable in our society are hit hardest – children, older people and those already in poor health.

Did you know?

• Air pollution contributes to the equivalent of 1,200 deaths a year in Greater Manchester
• Air pollution is the largest environmental risk to public health in Greater Manchester
• If we tackle the air pollution pumped out by vehicles, our children could live six months longer
• The air you breathe inside your car can be worse than the air outside
• The health and social care costs of air pollution in England could reach £5.3 billion by 2035 unless action is taken
• Air pollution in Greater Manchester increases the chance of hospital admissions and trips to A&E

The statistics are stark.

Last week I met with our environmental management team who manage street cleaning, bin collections and parks. The team are leading the way by transitioning our fleet to zero emissions vehicles. Currently we have three electric vehicles with another 11 on their way to replace failing diesel vehicles with higher pollution levels.

Electric vehicles produce less air and noise pollution and are cheaper to run. Win, win.

These new vehicles will need charging points and infrastructure and we're working with Transport for Greater Manchester to gain a £10,000 grant that will cover this cost. We're also making it easier for staff to leave their cars at home by investing grant money into shower facilities and cycle sheds.

I know that no single measure will fix the problem alone but combining this work with the following steps, we're doing our part to make Rochdale borough a better place to live, work and play.