A controversial proposal to purchase and leave vacant ten homes exposed to illegal levels of air pollution has been rejected by the government, leaving local authorities scrambling for alternative solutions.
The plan, developed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council, was intended as an alternative to installing a bus gate on Basford Bank – a stretch of the A53 on the border of the two cities where NO2 levels have persistently exceeded legal limits.
The councils’ theory was that if no-one lived in the affected area , there would be no pressing need for them to implement the fiercely bus gate.
Under the rejected scheme, the councils would have acquired the properties along the most polluted section of the road, removing residents from harmful emissions and eliminating the need for traffic restrictions. The authorities argued this approach would address the problem ‘in the shortest possible time and at best value.’
The bus gate, originally agreed in 2021, would have banned most Newcastle-bound traffic from a section of Etruria Road during rush hours, permitting only buses, taxis, and emergency vehicles. The proposal faced fierce opposition from residents who feared displaced traffic would clog nearby residential streets, and from businesses warning it would drive customers away.
Work on the bus gate was paused in 2024 after the councils submitted their alternative home-purchase plan to ministers, with then-Transport Secretary Mark Harper agreeing to investigate the proposal.
But after more than a year of deliberation, the government has now confirmed it does not support the plan. A spokesperson for Stoke-on-Trent City Council expressed disappointment, stating they were ‘currently considering options and next steps.’
The government said it was continuing to discuss the issue with the city council and was seeking to agree a plan “as soon as possible.”
A spokesperson for the council said: ‘After more than a year’s delay, we have recently heard back from government that they do not support the plan we submitted. We are disappointed by this decision and are currently considering options and next steps.’
The authorities were originally issued with a ministerial direction in 2018 requiring them to take action on the Basford Bank pollution hotspot. With their alternative now rejected, the councils must urgently revisit how to meet their legal obligations to reduce harmful emissions affecting residents and road users in the area.
Photo: Nirmal Rajendharkumar
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