Yorkshire and Humber ARC’s Born in Bradford research found that air pollution was associated with poor growth of babies in the womb, higher blood pressure in children and poorer brain development.
One in three cases of asthma in Bradford’s children was related to air pollution. Our evidence led to Bradford Council developing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charging older commercial vehicles entering the city centre. This is one of the most ambitious clean air zones in the UK with over £30 million in funding to support the transition to less polluting vehicles.
Born in Bradford will evaluate the impact of the CAZ on over 530,000 residents’ health. Our work shows the importance of reducing pollution to improve community health and wellbeing, particularly in deprived areas. The research also showed that targeted urban planning and transport policies, investment in sustainable travel options, and co-production with communities are key to successful interventions.
