York air quality figures for 2025 welcomed by council

City of York Council data showed every part of the city where air quality is monitored showed nitrous oxide (NO2) emissions were below legal limits for the second year running.

Cllr Jenny Kent, the council’s Labour environment spokesperson, said the figures were something to celebrate and reflected a huge collective effort across the city to get emissions down.

Council public health lead Peter Roderick said meeting the targets was a significant step towards reducing the risk of respiratory, heart and brain conditions.

The comments follow monitoring data showed maximum yearly concentrations of NO2 were at their lowest level in York for 15 years.

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It also comes as the council has received funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to monitor air quality indoors in homes across York.

Council environmental protection lead Mike Southcombe said there was currently no information about indoor air quality which could be affected by appliances including gas cookers.

The official told a meeting on Tuesday, June 2 the project would monitor changes in air quality inside homes which have been retrofitted to improve energy efficiency.

Monitoring of air quality recorded the highest concentration of NO2 emissions near the Gillygate and Bootham junction, with a level of 29.9 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3).

National limits for average NO2 emissions across a year are 40µg/m3.

City of York Council’s Labour Environment Executive Member Cllr Jenny Kent at an air quality monitor in Holgate Road (Image: City of York Council)

The Gillygate and Bootham junction was followed by that of Holgate and Blossom Street where the second-highest maximum concentration of NO2 representative of long-term exposure in 2025 was recorded, 29µg/m3.

NO2 pollution fell year-on-year at every York monitoring station except at the Fishergate and Paragon Steet junction where it rose by 2.5 per cent.

York’s NO2 levels remained above the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines of 10µg/m3-a-year which is typical for much of the UK, according to the council.

Levels of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) were at three-year highs but remained below the target mean of 10µg/m3.

Vehicles are the single-largest source of NO2 emissions which tend to be more localised when monitored.

PM10 and PM2.5 particles can come from elsewhere, with Tuesday’s council decision session hearing they could travel from as far away as continental Europe and North Africa.

Environment Executive Member Cllr Kent said York should celebrate its emissions figures ahead of national Clean Air Day on Thursday, June 18.

She added the electrification of the council’s vehicle fleet, encouraging bus use and smoke control measures set to come into force this year were helping to cut emissions.

Cllr Kent said: “Having walked past the Holgate Road monitor for almost 30 years alongside generations of neighbours and children on their way to school and work, I am especially pleased to see that it’s showing the largest improvement of 9.6 per cent NO2 reduction between 2024 and 2025, on top of the reductions the previous year.

“Every act each of us takes- choosing walking, cycling and catching the bus rather than using the car, switching to electric cars, heat pumps and solar and away from gas cookers and fossil fuels will ultimately cost less, make us healthier, and our air cleaner for everyone.”

Public Health Director Mr Roderick said air pollution was invisible but its effects were very real.

The official said: “We are now working towards even more ambitious standards to give every resident the best possible chance of a long and healthy life.

“Every step we take is an investment in the city’s future wellbeing.”