Up to £500,000 spent by UK government in air quality legal battle

Around half a million pounds has been lost by the UK government in its failed cases over air quality.

This comes following a Freedom of Information request suggested that £485,997 has been spent in its air quality court battle, which was defeated by ClientEarth.

After three failed battles with ClientEarth in court, the government is still yet to release a legal air quality strategy.

Responding to the new figures, ClientEarth chief executive James Thornton said: “It’s incredible that the UK government has used public money to try to avoid tackling a public health crisis. Air pollution in this country is not only illegal, it’s harming people’s health and cutting lives short.

“The government has been breaking pollution limits for eight years and is forecast to continue to do so for at least another ten. The fact we have had to keep going back to court to hold them to their duty to protect people is staggering.

“We need to see the government urgently introduce strong measures which tangibly bring illegal pollution down in our towns and cities, for the sake of people’s health.”