Leading members of the council's main Labour opposition have called in a decision by the ruling Executive on plans for an air quality strategy.

The council Executive received a report this week proposing an air quality strategy for the city, a strategy that would be drawn up to tackle already dangerously low levels of air quality in many parts of the city.

But Labour members say the council is failing to tackle what is killing many people in the city each year with the necessary urgency.

Neighbourhoods spokesperson Coun. Ken King said:

"The current Executive should be hanging their heads in shame at their inaction on air quality in the city. Unfortunately the penny still hasn't dropped, and instead of facing up to the Lib Dem Executive's responsibilities, we have the former council leader in the local media this week attempting to underplay the problem. I'm incandescent at his insensitivity in trying to convince people York is not a dirty city when many people are dying as a result of pollution every year".

The decision now means the matter will be considered by a cross-party committee, who can either dismiss the call-in, or refer it back to the Executive to be reconsidered. Yesterday's report called for another report to go back to Executive presenting a Low Emission Strategy for York in the future, but with no timescale.

Micklegate ward councillor Julie Gunnell explained why the call-in decision had to be taken, saying:

"Unfortunately the course of action taken by the Executive will not deal with the air quality threat to health, and ultimately lives, soon enough. Labour believes that the standing of the Air Quality Steering Group should be increased, not watered down by the Executive's arbitrary decision to say that it should now only report to the internal Council Carbon Management Board.

"The council's carbon management programme is extremely important, but the air quality problem is with us now, and is damaging the health of residents now. Nunnery Lane in my ward has had to suffer with dangerous threats to health for far too long, and while council officers are doing what they can, the direction they are getting from the Lib Dem leadership is way off track. It's unacceptable and residents expect and deserve better".

The matter will go before a cross-party committee for consideration on 14th June.