Motorists could be fined for leaving their engines running near places such as schools and railway stations under new proposals to cut air pollution.
A motion calling for ‘no-idling zones’ to be rolled out across the borough is to go before town hall chiefs at a full meeting of Stockport council next week.
To be moved by the Liberal Democrats, it cites research linking an estimated 40,000 deaths a year in the UK to air pollution - and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence call for local authorities to ‘crack down’ on idling by motorists.
Coun Colin MacAlister will tell councillors that ‘small changes’ such as drivers turning off their engines when stationary for two minutes or more could ‘drastically improve’ air quality.
But he will also say that motorists need the ‘nudge of possible penalties to make this change’.
Local authorities are able to hand out £20 fines for those who refuse to switch off their engines and the Lib Dems want the council to consider using ts civil enforcement officers anti-social parking cameras as part of a new crackdown.
Coun MacAlister said: “All of the evidence shows that we need to improve air quality, particularly around our schools.
“For example, contract school buses often sit with their engines running whilst waiting for the school day to end, pumping harmful gases into the environment. Car drivers need to play their part too.
“We need action by the council and Transport for Greater Manchester to educate people through a proper public awareness campaign, and this needs to be backed by fair enforcement measures.”
The motion will be supported by Coun Becky Senior, who says it will be important to target the borough’s idling blackspots before rolling out the scheme - should it be backed.
She said: “The problem is not just around schools. There are lots of public spaces like railway stations where taxis, for example, habitually leave their engines running for extended periods.
“We are asking for officers to do a comprehensive assessment of where No Idling Zones should be introduced across Stockport to have the most impact and to then deploy the existing civil enforcement officers and the anti-social parking camera car to enforce them.”
Greater Manchester leaders are currently developing a clean air plan for the region, which includes charging the dirtiest lorries and taxis from 2021, and the most polluting vans two years later.
However the government has not, as expected by Mayor Andy Burnham, committed to fund a £116m scrappage scheme to help businesses switch to newer vehicles.
This led to a war of words between Mr Burnham and then environment secretary Michael Gove, with the former declaring he was 'not prepared to proceed on that basis', given the threat to jobs and businesses.
However a final business case for the plan will be produced by the end of the year and submitted to the government.
Subject to ministers approval and funding, measures would be introduced from 2020, with the Clean Air Zone being introduced in two phases from 2021 and 2023.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news. We are on Instagram too. We'll also bring you live updates and notifications of breaking news on the M.E.N. app - download it here .
