Air pollution causes one in 20 deaths in Bolton , new figures show. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities figures show air pollution was responsible for 5.8 per cent of the deaths of people in Bolton aged over 30 in 2022.
This was up from 5.4 per cent the year before but was below pre-pandemic levels of 6.5 per cent.
The figures showed significant regional inequality across England, with 17 of the 18 areas with the worst air pollution death rates in London. The other was Watford, a commuter town in the East of England. In London in 2022, 7.
1 per cent of the deaths of people aged 30 or above were due to air pollution. At the other end of the scale, the 11 areas with the lowest proportion of air pollution -related deaths were all in the South West, with air pollution responsible for 4.6 per cent of deaths in the region.
In the North West, 5.6 per cent of deaths in 2022 were due to air pollution. Cllr Sean Fielding Bolton Council’s cabinet member for health said: “Clean air is a public health issue and these statistics, which show that five per cent of deaths locally are attributable to air pollution, are shocking.
“Inevitably these deaths will disproportionately affect the less well off, as those are people who tend to live near more heavily trafficked roads and in neighbourhoods where people can only afford to drive older vehicles. “Over time air quality will improve as older vehicles reach the end of their lives and come off our roads. However, we do need to t.