For segments on Manchester's Clean Air Zone (CAZ), our wonderful Maksim (12) has been interviewed about his asthma and the effect of air pollution on his life.
With the delay of the CAZ scheme and the controversy surrounding it, it's important we don't get diverted from the fact that air pollution is a BIG problem in Manchester. The city centre is particularly affected. As we've previously reported, Great Ancoats Street has levels of pollution way above legal levels. This is unacceptable, especially during a climate emergency. Maksim was born in Manchester and has lived in the city centre all his 12 years and knows how important it is to breath cleaner air. The pollution he has experienced has been a key factor with his asthma. Reducing the traffic of high-emission vehicles is essential for reducing pollution in our City.
Our message is still the same. We want more trees and fewer cars in the city centre. We need alternatives from cars; better public transport and to make it much easier for people to get about by walking or cycling. But most of all we should not forget about the solution being to use public land in polluted areas for tree planting. At 10.5 acres the former Central Retail Park is perfectly placed to do this.
Manchester city centre is becoming a concrete city with high traffic. So much can be done to clear the air and make people happier about the place where they live and work.
Imagine this as a park and not a concrete land next to the one of the busiest and most polluted roads in Greater Manchester - Great Ancoats Street!
