Chris Lofts, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for South Northamptonshire, visiting Towcester’s Farmers’ Market today, to listen to people’s concerns about air pollution in the town.

Chris Lofts said: “Stall holders and shoppers expressed their worries about the failure of the Conservatives to take action to improve air quality in Towcester. This view was shared by those I spoke with who run town centre businesses and residents I met, walking along Watling Street. We have a great monthly market in Towcester and excellent small shops but locals tell me air pollution and heavy traffic is badly affecting trade. Of course, it’s badly affecting our health too. The excellent monthly Farmers’ Market should by right, be in the market square, but lack of a bypass / relief road makes this impossible.”

Recently a judge ordered our former MP Andrea Leadsom, to publish her highly embarrassing report on air pollution. Justice Garnham said the environment secretary was in breach of a court order to take action in the shortest possible time. Despite the court’s order, the Conservatives still put their own party politics before public health and didn’t publish their report until after the local elections.

Liberal Democrat Chris Lofts added: “Andrea Leadsom has finally been forced to publish her ‘action plan’ to reduce air pollution, but this has been universally ridiculed by health experts, as offering no solution to the very serious public health issue of air pollution; a problem which is causing up to 40,000 premature deaths in the UK each year. We urgently need a scrappage scheme for older diesel vehicles and tax incentives to promote cleaner more efficient cars, buses and HGVs.

It’s disgraceful that the Conservatives are still ducking measures to reduce the air pollution blighting many of our cities and towns, including Towcester and other locations across South Northamptonshire.

Liberal Democrats have been campaigning hard for Towcester’s relief road. The Conservatives still claim they support the Lib Dems on this but have failed to take action. All we get from the Tories is ‘hot air.’

We need action on air pollution, not just words…”

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