Clean Air Bradford and Friends of the Earth have rejected claims in a Bradford Conservative motion that there is “no credible evidence” that the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is reducing pollution and improving health.
The groups are responding to a motion due to be considered by Bradford Council which calls for measures to remove charges from the Clean Air Zone and ultimately end the scheme altogether.
The motion, which follows calls by Reform UK and Bradford Council leader Stephen Place to scrap the charging element of the CAZ, calls for action that the council cannot legally take as it was required by the national government to introduce a charging Clean Air Zone to bring air quality within legal limits.
They say that the motion ignores evidence from independent researchers and Bradford Council itself showing improvements in air quality and health since the Bradford Clean Air Plan and Clean Air Zone were introduced.
Research by the NHS and universities found that, following the introduction of Bradford’s Clean Air Plan, visits to GPs for respiratory conditions fell by 25%, while visits for cardiovascular conditions fell by 24%.
That equates to around 732 fewer GP visits every month for heart and lung conditions and approximately £30,700 in NHS savings each month during the first year.
The research also found that nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a harmful pollutant produced largely by traffic, fell significantly after the Clean Air Plan was introduced.
Bradford Council’s own monitoring has recorded some of the lowest levels of NO2 ever recorded in the district.
The groups also point to a further independent assessment by the University of York’s Centre for Health Economics. In December 2025, Bradford Council reported that exploratory analysis estimated the CAZ had generated approximately £180.84 million in societal benefits over its first 22 months, including health benefits and the economic value of reduced pollution.
Air pollution causes serious harm to people’s health. Research by Born in Bradford and the University of Leeds has found that traffic pollution may contribute to up to 38% of asthma cases among Bradford children aged 7–15.
The motion also suggests that taxi businesses in the area are negatively impacted by the CAZ charge. However the Bradford fleet is 99.9% compliant with the CAZ – with businesses having benefited from the Clean Air Taxi Grant to upgrade vehicles – so Bradford taxi drivers won’t be paying to drive in the CAZ
Darren Parkinson, spokesperson for Clean Air Bradford, said: “The Conservatives say there is no credible evidence that the Clean Air Zone is working. The evidence says otherwise. We have cleaner air, fewer GP visits for heart and lung conditions and less harmful pollution. These are real improvements that matter to people’s lives.
“The answer is not to scrap the CAZ and risk going backwards. We should be building on the progress we have made and making Bradford’s air cleaner still.”
The benefits are particularly important in communities already experiencing poorer health. Bradford Council’s own assessment notes that deprived and vulnerable communities are disproportionately exposed to higher pollution levels and that reducing pollution can help reduce health inequalities.
At Bradford Council’s Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee in December 2025, officers also reported concerns that removing the CAZ could reverse environmental and health improvements achieved so far.
Simon Bowens, Yorkshire Campaign Organiser for Friends of the Earth, said: “The evidence is clear that the Clean Air Zone is delivering real benefits for the people of Bradford.
“If we remove measures that are helping to reduce pollution, we risk losing the health gains we have already achieved. Bradford councillors should be proud of a measure that is helping to protect children’s health and should focus on making our air cleaner still, not taking us backwards.”
Clean Air Bradford and Friends of the Earth say that the evidence points to a clear conclusion: the CAZ should be improved and maintained, not dismantled.
The groups call on Bradford Council to reject the Conservative motion to end CAZ charging and instead continue monitoring air quality and health outcomes, maintain progress towards legal compliance and take further action to reduce harmful pollution across the district.
NOTES TO EDITORS
• Bradford’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) was introduced in September 2022 as part of the Bradford Clean Air Plan, following a Ministerial Direction from central government requiring action to reduce illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) pollution.
• A peer-reviewed study published in Environmental Research in 2025 examined the impact of the Bradford Clean Air Plan, including the CAZ, on health and air pollution during its first two years. It analysed more than 157,000 primary care visits and 37,865 emergency department visits for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Researchers found a 25% reduction in respiratory GP visits and a 24% reduction in cardiovascular GP visits, with NO₂ concentrations also falling.
Research paper: “Impact of an urban city-wide Bradford clean air plan on health service use and nitrogen dioxide 24 months after implementation: An interrupted time series analysis” https://www.sciencedirect.com/
• The same research found an average reduction of around 598 respiratory and 134 cardiovascular primary care visits each month, equating to approximately 732 fewer visits per month. It estimated monthly NHS cost savings of approximately £30,743.
• The research is also available through Born in Bradford, which was involved in the work: https://borninbradford.nhs.uk/
• Bradford Council’s own monitoring has recorded some of the lowest NO₂ levels ever recorded in the district since the CAZ was introduced.
• An independent assessment by the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York, reported by Bradford Council in December 2025, estimated that the CAZ had generated approximately £180.84 million in societal benefits over its first 22 months, including health benefits and the economic value of reduced pollution. https://news.bradford.gov.uk/
• Research led by the University of Leeds examined the link between traffic-related air pollution and childhood asthma in Bradford. It estimated that up to 38% of annual childhood asthma cases in Bradford may be attributable to air pollution.
Research paper:“Full-chain health impact assessment of traffic-related air pollution and childhood asthma” https://www.sciencedirect.com/
University of Leeds summary:Air pollution impact on childhood asthma https://www.leeds.ac.uk/news-
• Bradford Council’s 2025 Air Quality Annual Status Report also records the health findings, including the 25% reduction in respiratory GP visits, 24% reduction in cardiovascular visits and approximately £30,000 in monthly NHS savings.
Bradford Council – 2025 Air Quality Annual Status Report: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/
• The World Health Organisation’s 2021 Global Air Quality Guidelines recommend annual average concentrations of no more than 5 μg/m³ for PM₂.₅ and 10 μg/m³ for NO₂. UK legal limits remain higher than these guideline levels. https://www.who.int/
Contact: Darren Parkinson. Parkinson.darrenj@gmail.com
ENDS
Darren Parkinson
Clean Air Bradford Spokesperson