Newcastle has suffered from illegal levels of air pollution for many years. In this Air Quality Timeline we trace the developments that enabled a massive growth of traffic in the city and the lack of action that means we still suffer from poor air quality today.

The following is a text version of the Newcastle upon Tyne Air Quality Timeline

1964 The government’s Smeed Report of 1964 was the first full assessment of the practicality of road pricing in a British city on the basis of congestion. It recommended a method of “car user restraint” by a variable system of charging for road usage – if the government had the will to do so.

1973 Newcastle opens its new Central Motorway.

1989 The Air Quality Standards Regulations: Brought into UK law as the limit and guide values for SO2 and suspended particulates, lead in air and nitrogen dioxide set by EC.

1990 Newcastle Western By-Pass is opened.

1995 The Environment Act: This provides a new statutory framework for local air quality management. The Act requires publication of a National Strategy which will set air quality standards and targets for the pollutants of most concern.

1997 The National Air Quality Strategy: The final version of the National Air Quality Strategy was published in response to The Environment Act on March 12th 1997, with commitments to achieve new air quality objectives throughout the UK by 2005. It is reviewed periodically.

2000 The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: The second National Air Quality Strategy was published with new air quality objectives for local authorities.

2001 House building in Great Park development started.

2003 The London Congestion Charge was introduced in February 2003.

2005 NCC declares Air Quality Management Areas for Newcastle – Jesmond Road, Jesmond Dene Road and Blue House Roundabout.

The 2008 Ambient Air Quality Directive replaced nearly all the previous EU air quality legislation and was made law in England through the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010. Guideline targets have been established as national air quality (NAQ) objectives. The NAQ objective ‘limit value’ for NO2 is: Annual mean 40μg/m3 ; or Hourly 200 μg/m 3 which is not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year. Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) were declared for the city centre (which includes parts of Jesmond and Heaton) and for Gosforth in 2008.  The city centre AQMA replaced an earlier AQMA in this area.

2011 Client Earth started legal action against the UK government for not meeting air quality limits.

2013 NCC rules out a Clean Air Zone partly on grounds that improvements in diesel engines will fix air quality.

2015 Diesel Gate – diesel engines aren’t improving.

2015 Government plan declared illegal April 2015 by the Supreme Court.

2016 Government submitted a revised plan in December 2015. In November 2016 this was also declared illegal. 

2016 Government loses again in the High Court to Client Earth regarding air pollution from traffic and it is ordered that the Secretary of State must aim to achieve compliance by the soonest date possible, that she must choose a route to that objective which reduces exposure as quickly as possible, and that she must take steps which mean meeting the value limits is not just possible, but likely. Newcastle, and others, have to take action.

2016 Royal College of Physicians report states 40,000 deaths annually are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution in the UK.

2016 – 2030 Over 2000 more houses to be built in Newcastle Great Park.

2017 Government required to submit a new draft plan by April 2017 (published 5 May due to election & subsequent legal action) and a final plan by end July 2017.

2017 Gosforth High Street Air Pollution exceeds legal limit by 50%.

2017 On 26 July the Government announced its Air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in UK (2017). The objective of the plan is to reduce concentrations of NO2 around roads where levels are above legal limits and to do so within the shortest possible time. To achieve this the Government has directed local authorities to create their own draft plan to achieve this by March 2018. Final plan to be submitted by December 2018.

2018 Newcastle City Council miss deadline to submit final air quality plan to Defra and the DfT and instead submit draft proposals.

2019 Newcastle City Council conducts more consultations on air quality measures while scientists discover toxic air quality measures while scientists discover toxic particulate pollution in the lungs, livers and brains of babies.

2019 Council Cabinet signs off the Newcastle city centre Clean Air Zone, due to commence from late 2020.

2020 NCC launch their Net Zero Newcastle – 2030 Action Plan. This includes a transition to being a 15 minute city with access to local goods, services and leisure all within a 15 minute walk or cycle ride.

2020 Covid lockdowns. Millions enjoy experiencing cleaner air as car and bus travel plummets and many choose to walk and cycle. Local shops see more business and new bike sales soar.

2020 Clean Air Zone Delays. The Clean Air Zone is delayed. Newcastle City Council “anticipate the charging clean air zone being introduced later in 2021.”

2021 Traffic begins to return to pre-pandemic levels and the clean air is a memory as new cyclists revert back to cars and buses due to lack of safe cycling infrastructure.

2021 Coast Road air pollution is measured to be over twice the legal limit for NO₂.

2022 More Delays Newcastle City Council announce that the Clear Air Zone, already delayed to July 2022, will be further delayed “to give those affected more time to prepare”.

2022 Newcastle City Council finally announces January 2023 as the launch date for a smaller and limited Clean Air Zone in Newcastle city centre that excludes private cars.

2023 Newcastle’s Clean Air Zone comes into effect on 1 February 2023 with charges initially only on older HGVs, buses, taxis and coaches, but not LGVs or private cars. To avoid being charged to enter the CAZ, vehicles must have a Euro 6 diesel or a Euro 4 petrol engine.

2023 Clean Air Zone fully implemented on 17 July 2023 with older vans and LGVs also to be charged.