Category Archives: Legal
Response to Environmental Audit Committee Call for evidence on air quality
Posted on Posted onDefra may be shifting from passively covering up the air pollution issue to actively covering up the issue and its role in fighting it Busy fool might have achieved greater reductions in air pollution concentrations and/or done more to warn … Continue reading
Europe at its ‘best’ takes legal action against UK at its ‘worst’ on air pollution
Posted on Posted onEuropean Commission (Commission) has sent the UK a ‘Letter of formal notice’ for breaching nitrogen dioxide (NO2) limit values in 16 of 43 zones. The UK is the first of the EU’s 28 Member States to receive enforcement action on … Continue reading
Timely reminder: We need effective, independent and periodic tailpipe testing
Posted on Posted onDiesel particulate filter check required as part of MOT test from February 2014 Timely reminder of the importance of fully operational diesel particulate filters and emissions control systems and the need for the final Trilogue meeting next Monday to ensure … Continue reading
Mayor takes more backward steps from his Air Quality Strategy and London Plan
Posted on Posted onConsultation on draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on ‘The Control of Dust and Emissions during Construction and Demolition’ Mayor is proposing to entrench weak standards for Non-Road Mobile Machinery at ‘High risk sites’ across most of Greater London from 1 September … Continue reading
Government lobbying for changes that would weaken emissions systems tests
Posted on Posted onGovernment is lobbying, with others in the Council of Ministers, for changes that would weaken new roadworthiness tests for emissions systems across Europe This is a Red Line issue. European Commission and European Parliament must withdraw from negotiations with the … Continue reading
Response to ‘Call for Evidence – Review of the Clean Air Act’
Posted on Posted onCall for Evidence excludes the Government’s views or proposed policy options and has not considered the feasibility of implementing selected stakeholders’ views for ‘improving’ the Act Clean Air Act must be updated for modern fuels and technologies and enforced, together with other air pollution … Continue reading
Mayor takes five backward steps from his own London Plan
Posted on Posted onConsultation on ‘Air Quality Neutral’ in Sustainable Design and Construction SPG By setting lax standards for developers the Mayor is forcing himself to introduce draconian transport measures to reduce carcinogenic air pollution and comply with limit values Dear Mayor Johnson I … Continue reading
Government treats limit values with contempt by M4 bus lane
Posted on Posted on‘Clean Air in London’ (CAL) lodges formal three-part complaint with the European Commission ‘Part one’ of the Complaint is that the Secretary of State for Transport proceeded with the permanent removal of the M4 bus lane despite it causing aggravated, … Continue reading
Government admits widespread breaches of air pollution laws
Posted on Posted on34 of 43 UK zones breached the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) annual limit value in 2012 Cardiff has joined Leicester, North Wales, Nottingham and Portsmouth in breaching the terms of their time extensions. Bournemouth and Coventry failed to meet the pre-condition for … Continue reading
Defra did cover-up smog warnings and would scrap local monitoring
Posted on Posted onGovernment covered-up three legally-required smog warnings in the fortnight after launching a consultation proposing the scrapping of local monitoring by others In two incidents, the Government: says another monitoring network is ‘separate’; and blames [sudden and] ‘worst case’ instrument malfunction/vandalism/power … Continue reading
Thousands may be driving diesel vehicles illegally after Government failures
Posted on Posted onTens of thousands of motorists may be driving diesel vehicles illegally and risk losing their insurance or resale value – many without realising it – after Government fails to protect them Government has confirmed it is illegal to use a … Continue reading
Government ‘cover-ups’ or legal breaches during consultation to scrap monitoring
Posted on Posted onGovernment’s four proposals to scrap or reduce Local Air Quality Management are unacceptable Government ‘covered-up’ and/or breached its legal duty to issue two separate ‘Information alerts’ to warn the public of smog just days after proposing to scrap local air … Continue reading
EU (much) more ‘competent’ than UK Government on air quality
Posted on Posted onCall for Evidence: Environment and Climate Change Only the EU has competence to set Europe-wide product standards and environmental limits 75% of UK respondents to a recent Eurobarometer survey on ‘Attitudes of European towards air quality’ think that the EU … Continue reading
M4 bus lane removal in disarray after another flawed consultation
Posted on Posted onTAG Unit 3.3.3c The Air Quality Sub-Objective Consultation makes mistakes of both fact and law, that are so basic that, in our view, the Consultation, in order to be meaningful, should be undertaken again ‘Clean Air in London’ (CAL) lodges formal … Continue reading
Landmark legal victory for ClientEarth
Posted on Posted onSupreme Court declares UK in breach of nitrogen dioxide legal limits and refers case to the Court of Justice of the European Union Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London, said: “Congratulations to ClientEarth on its landmark … Continue reading