DRIVERS could be forced to pay up to £12.50 to enter Southampton city centre in a bid to reduce air pollution.

Charges are expected to be brought in against diesel vehicles entering parts of the UK’s most polluted cities such as London, Birmingham and Southampton.

It comes as a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs report claims pollutant nitrogen dioxide is responsible for 23,500 deaths in Britain each year and is behind soaring rates of respiratory illness in children.

As previously reported by the Daily Echo, Southampton has been shamed by both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Commission (EC) recently over the quality of its air.

The city is one of the UK’s nine worst air pollution offenders according to the WHO, while it is lagging behind strict EU controls on nitrous oxide levels.

London officials have said they will bring in the charge for the Ultra Low Emission Zone from September 2020 on top of the £10 congestion charge.

The other cities are expected to follow suit although the exact details will be up to the local authorities.

Leader of Southampton City Council, Simon Letts, knew nothing more about the proposals and didn’t wish to comment further until he’d had a chance to look into the details further.

He did say he’d had a conversation with Rory Stewart, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the DEFRA, on Friday but that there was no discussion about this.

He added: “He didn’t tell me that what they’re proposing is a £12.50 charge [like there is planned for London] every time a diesel vehicle crosses a boundary.”

Southampton City council’s cabinet member for Health and Adult Social Care, Dave Shields, added: “We don’t really want to use tactics like slapping fines on. I think if you can work with business sectors in getting a reduction in poor air that can only be a good thing.”

But he added: “I don’t that that we’re seriously proposing congestion charging for the city.”

Cllr Shields also questioned how a congestion charge could be enforced.

He said: “If you’ve got somewhere like London that has got the infrastructure and congestion charging in place the costsd to set it up aren’t going to be too much.

“We don’t have any form of congestion here in Southampton. I’m not sure how it would work.”

New Forest District Councillor for Totton, David Harrison said any incentives to reduce the number of drivers into Southampton should be welcomed: "As a nation, we are slowly waking up to the dangers of diesel pollution to human health.

"In cities like Southampton, the do nothing option is simply not acceptable.

"There is no one single thing that will solve the problem but a package of measures, including incentives not to drive into the city and particularly the "Air Quality Management Areas" would be welcome".

Liberal Democrat South East MEP Catherine Bearder, criticised car manufacturers for not doing enough to make cleaner vehicles.

"The switch to diesel has had a disastrous impact on air quality in Southampton.

"Technology to reduce deadly diesel fumes is available and affordable, but car makers are still dragging their heels instead of making the transition to cleaner vehicles.

"It is about time that EU air pollution limits were properly enforced and not sidestepped or ignored. The longer we wait, the more lives will be tragically cut short."

