SOUTHAMPTON’S civic leader says he wants to work with other authorities to tackle the “public health crisis” plaguing the country.

Cllr Chris Hammond said the issue needs to be addressed, before more damage is caused.The city council chief made the pledge when he spoke at the National Clean Air Summit in London, where he was joined by other leaders, mayors and their representatives from across the UK.

It comes as the authority opened its consultation on introducing a chargeable clean air zone in the city.

Cllr Hammond said: “Southampton isn’t the only city with an air pollution problem so we are keen to work together with allies across the country who want to tackle this public health crisis. The costs to our NHS and lost working days [because of our air quality] are too great for us to ignore this.

“It’s a national problem which needs national action as well as strong local leadership. Southampton will learn from our colleagues as well as demonstrate our own determination to clean up our air.”

The cross-party leaders, representing around 20 million people from towns and cities in England and Wales, issued a call to the government to help lower pollution levels. It included a modern Clean Air Act with tighter pollution limits and new powers, a targeted national vehicle renewal scheme, an enhanced Clean Air Fund to support local action, and support for UK businesses to enable Britain to be a global leader in manufacturing low-emission vehicles.

Polly Billington, director of UK100 – a network of civic leaders battling for wider clean energy use – added: “Air pollution is a growing national menace. It is not confined only to big cities but damages the health and well-being of people throughout the UK. It is also a shared responsibility between national and local government.

“Having Cllr Hammond here along with the other local leaders and mayors means we are able to collectively call for urgent action to clean up our air. This summit helps to put air pollution front and centre in the minds of those making policy and controlling budgets: local leaders stand as allies with national decision-makers who share their determination, and with more powers and resources will be able to do more.

“City leaders have the ambition to tackle this public health crisis and seize the economic opportunity there is in shifting to cleaner, smarter ways of moving around our cities, towns and regions.“Seeing them all here today sharing ideas and discussing their own local successes in the battle against air pollution has been empowering and will go a long way to cleaning up the air in Southampton and our air nationally in the coming months and years.”