Liberal Democrat councillor David Harrison may find time to sit on several different council bodies and public authorities in and around Hampshire but, thankfully, these do not include Southampton City Council.

As an elected member for Freemantle, where poor air quality caused by traffic pollution and the local docks is the cause of much avoidable ill health, I strongly object to Cllr Harrison’s unwelcome interference in our local affairs.

His comments on the management of air quality in the city are totally ill-informed. Maybe he’d prefer to explain why the New Forest District Council (of which he is a member) recently revoked its air quality monitoring station in Fawley. Maybe he could also inform us why Test Valley Borough Council (which is part of Hampshire where he is also a county councillor) does absolutely no air quality monitoring along the busy approach roads and motorways to the west of Southampton.

There is a very real chance that – without remedial action – the Government will exceed its nitrogen dioxide levels by 2018 at the risk of a hefty EU fine. This makes it even more important for cities like Southampton to take appropriate measures for improving air quality. The Government minister currently responsible for the environment, Ed Davey, is a Liberal Democrat member of the coalition so maybe Cllr Harrison might like to have a gentle word in his ear.

As Cabinet member for public health in Southampton I take the issue of the city’s air quality very seriously. Labour councillors like Andrew Pope on the west side of the city (there are no longer any Liberal Democrat councillors in Southampton) are fully behind me in this. That is why we support the launch of a councillor scrutiny inquiry into the city’s air quality which can help identify some sensible solutions to a growing health challenge for the city.

Banging on about retaining one of our two air monitoring stations along Millbrook Road, which is no longer for fit for purpose, is tantamount to re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Southampton city councillor Dave Shields.