Government rules out appealing air quality plan ruling

The Government has confirmed that it will not appeal last week’s High Court judgment which ordered it to produce its air quality plans by 9 May, it has been reported.

The draft plans had been due to be published on 24 April 217, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs applied to postpone publication of the draft clean air plan until after the election to comply with purdah rules.

However, Mr Justice Garnham last week rejected the Government’s argument that publication of the plans would drop a “controversial bomb” into both the local and national election campaigns.

The plans are in response to a High Court ruling last year that the Government’s air quality strategy to meet EU-mandated air quality limits was inadequate and had be improved.

According to the BBC, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the plan would now be published between Thursday's local government elections and the deadline of 9 May imposed in the hearing last week.

The claimant, environmental law charity ClientEarth, welcomed the Government’s confirmation. CEO James Thornton said: “We’re delighted the Government has decided to stop dithering and delaying and look forward to seeing its air quality plans after the local elections.

“We’ll be analysing these plans and making sure they are up to scratch. We must see truly robust measures, including a national network of clean air zones to keep the dirtiest diesel vehicles away from pollution hotspots in our towns and cities.”

The final plan should be published by 31 July.