Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK. In 2016, 86% of the UK’s 43 air quality zones breached the European nitrogen dioxide (NO2) legal annual mean limit (40 ug/m3). Approximately a third of NO2 levels are due to traffic emissions.
Across England and Wales, Blackpool came out top as the least polluted place that is officially monitored and the average cost of a home here is less than £110,000. The North West region had three other places in the top 10: Preston (2nd), Birkenhead (4th) and Liverpool (8th).
Following the Clean Air Framework in May 2017, the government has set aside funds to help local authorities take steps to improve their air quality. In July 2017, £225 million was made available as part of its Clean Air Strategy. This was added to in the Autumn Budget when a £220 million Clean Air Fund was announced.
Five cities outside of London: Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton will introduce Clean Air Zones (CAZs) next year to bring nitrogen dioxide concentrations below legal limits.
It’s difficult to prove a correlation between NO2 levels and average house prices but air quality could be a deciding factor when choosing between homes to buy. Postcode-level air pollution Apps on smart phones continue to inform buyers and there are calls for this information to legally feature on property particulars.
