06/03/2017 Inside Out West Midlands

On this week's Inside Out West Midlands, will a ban on dirty diesel

vehicles really clean up Birmingham's polluted air?

If all we do is replace old diesels with new ones,

Also on the programme, the new HS2 rail line

through the Midlands, and the fears about its

The route selection I think is a major problem, and we do

believe the Government isn't listening seriously enough

to the wildlife trusts and to other organisations

And we also check out Stoke-on-Trent's bid to be

We're geographically in a really good spot, you know,

We've also, unfortunately, got an awful lot of space that can

I'm Ayo Akinwolere, you're watching Inside Out.

As you can see we are miles away from traffic, and this is important

because our first story is looking at air pollution.

It's so bad in some parts of the Midlands

that the European Union has given authorities a final warning.

Now, I've been to see what the Government is doing

to tackle this problem - and if you're a driver of diesels,

Exhausts pump out quite a few nasties.

Some, like carbon dioxide, are thought to harm the planet.

But others are said to harm you and me.

Top of the list is nitrogen dioxide - most of which comes

So, by 2020 the Government is planning to ban old diesel taxis,

buses and lorries from five English cities - including Birmingham.

But replacing all those old vehicles is a mammoth task,

?45,000 for a new electric cab - I can't afford to buy that.

And are these Clean Air Zones really the solution?

Few people care more about air pollution than Gary Mackintosh.

His 12-mile commute across Birmingham takes him along

some of the busiest roads and dirtiest air in Europe.

Gary, as a cyclist, do you notice the air pollution

Especially if you get caught in slower moving traffic

or it's at a standstill, and you're behind, say,

You can see the plumes of blue haze coming out of the bus or the taxi

or whatever it is - mainly the older vehicles.

But Gary has no idea if those fumes are harmful.

This is where we're pulling the air in, and from there we can go down...

For that, you need an atmospheric scientist.

Dr Louisa Kramer from the University of Birmingham has kitted out this

old Transit van with high tech gear to monitor air pollution.

And this morning, we're heading into the city to see if nitrogen

Pretty soon, we come to a major junction.

Yes, so that will be when we're starting to get onto the main road.

Unsurprisingly, the amount of nitrogen dioxide, or NO2,

But that's nothing compared to when we head into a tunnel.

It went literally from 17 to 44, that's absolutely incredible.

Because there's no dispersion, there's nowhere really for the NO2

to go easily apart from the movement of the vehicles - it

builds up in the tunnel, so typically we see much higher

levels in the tunnel than what we would see just

Dr Kramer shows me a map of our route.

The blue dots reveal where nitrogen dioxide levels are low -

One thing you can do if it's very high is to actually put your air

conditioning on recycle, so you're just recycling

the air inside and not bringing in the pollutants.

Seriously, does that really make a difference?

But it's not just bad in the city centre.

The yellow areas on this map of the West Midlands show

And the roads highlighted orange and red are really bad -

But what is all that nitrogen dioxide doing to us?

Well, it's a very aggressive chemical, that sets up

an inflammatory reaction in the lung, and that in turn leads

to an increase in respiratory diseases such as asthmas

and bronchitis, and in heart disease.

For the old and infirm, this is quite a major

additional stress on them, which could end up with them

being admitted to hospital or ultimately dying early.

So, it's a problem that needs sorting.

Now, the Government's solution comes from Germany,

It's an Umwelt, or environmental zone.

This one in Munich is one of 47 across Germany.

Only vehicles that have passed the most rigorous emissions tests

can enter the city centre - and the ban affects cars

That means the scheme goes one step further than the one that's

planned for Birmingham - where the restrictions

won't include cars, only commercial vehicles.

But it's meant Germans have had to replace their old diesel

The emission zone in Germany is quite good, so actually you don't

Yeah, I think it's really important to have a watch on pollution.

The problem is I got a car which is about 40 years old,

and I'm not allowed to get into the emission zone.

So it's a problem for me, but generally it's a good idea.

A good idea maybe - but has it worked?

Josef, what's this huge concrete block here?

This is one of the measurement stations we have in Munich...

Dr Josef Cyrys is from the German Research Centre

He's been studying the impact of the low emission

How effective has it been in reducing levels

We saw a reduction of fine particles after the introduction

of the low emission zone, but there is almost

So it was effective regarding fine particles, but it was not

While the low emission zone HAS reduced levels of one

type of air pollution, known as particulates,

it's had virtually no effect at all on levels

So despite scrapping all those old diesel vehicles,

the levels of nitrogen dioxide in Munich still well

Remember, this is a city that has gone further

than Birmingham is planning to go, and yet the amount of

nitrogen dioxide in the air is still far too high.

So why haven't levels of nitrogen dioxide in Munich fallen?

Well, it seems simply replacing old diesel vehicles with new ones

It's a comparison of the amount of nitrogen dioxide emitted

by petrol and diesel vehicles back in 2000.

Yes, there's been an improvement - but diesels are clearly

Which begs the question - why introduce controversial

Clean Air Zones in Britain, when the evidence from Germany

suggests they won't solve the nitrogen dioxide problem?

A Clean Air Zone will address some of the problems in terms

of nitrogen dioxide - what I need to understand

and need to be clear on is whether restricting it

to commercial vehicles only will address the problem

So it seems possible some diesel cars may also be banned

But remember - the lesson from Munich is that even THAT

So - if low emission zones aren't the answer, exactly what is?

Well, some scientists believe it's time we started phasing

To replace them with petrol or with electric vehicles,

that are much, much better for local air quality.

And there ARE signs that the authorities may

consider banning all diesels from cities like Birmingham.

If the problem is seen to be diesel cars,

as some of the evidence is pointing to, then the Government needs

to come back and actually work with us and actually say,

how are we going to actually transfer away from diesel cars?

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs didn't

respond directly to our findings on Clean Air Zones, but it did say

it's "firmly committed to improving the UK's air quality," and that it

has "committed more than ?2 billion to increase the uptake

of ultra-low emissions vehicles, and support greener transport".

But many believe much more needs to be done.

If the actions were sufficiently radical, we could see improvements

well within five years - but if all we do is replace

old diesels with new ones, it's going to take decades.

The Government is due to update its air quality plans

But if you own a diesel, it might not be good news.

I'm on a bit of a voyage of discovery today,

and coming up later on, Tom Price will be looking around

to be crowned the UK City of Culture.

People need to get to know Stoke, it's an amazing place.

It's got so much potential, and what the City of Culture

designation would give us is the chance to really

fulfil that potential, and really build a really strong

future for young people here, and that is so important.

Next tonight: HS2 is a massive talking point for us

Last month, it was given the royal seal of approval.

But as Mike Dilger's been finding out, there are serious concerns it

could have a massive impact local wildlife.

This disused line in Leicestershire was one of hundreds constructed

It was part of a new and exciting transport network -

but even back then, building new railways

Way back in 1893, protestors managed to get the proposed route

from London to Leicester diverted, to save the city's Roman wall.

Today, another proposed route is dividing opinion round here.

The route of HS2 is broadly like a Y-shaped stick.

Down here you've got the capital, London

- that travels all the way up to Birmingham.

From there, the route splits, travelling northwest up

to Manchester, or northeast all the

linking London and Birmingham, gets going this year,

and as many as 63 ancient woodlands - many of them in Warwickshire and

The Woodland Trust has identified another 35 ancient woodlands

which may be lost or adversely affected in phase two.

Richard lost land back in the '90s, when the then

newly constructed A42 sliced through

So he's no stranger to large-scale

I understand why HS2 has to be built.

And for me I'd like to see it tucked in alongside the 42

Because then the impact on our woods will be less.

quite a few hundred yards away, and

So you're worried about the environmental concerns

Well, this is full of deer, this is full of wildlife.

Every time you put a major thing

We've already had the A42 in my lifetime, so to have another

major infrastructure project and 20, 30 years later, it's very

Now, the term "ancient woodland" relates to

any site that has had continual wooded cover

for at least 400 years - in effect, dating

back to the time of Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne.

cover only about 2% of the entire

Richard, behind us is a wood which I understand will disappear

And behind that is a much smaller wood.

Now, that one's completely missed by HS2.

We understand that Natural England asked them to survey for woods

smaller than two hectares that might be on the route,

they said they had - but one of our volunteers

found that and several other woodlands that they had

And they've now been added to the ancient woodland inventory.

say high-speed rail will bring them no benefits,

There's no real benefit on us, or for that matter,

Well, it's going to be a slice right through the national

Therefore I don't see how it's going to enhance the local

We're on what's called the eastern leg, HS2-B...

concerned about our environment more widely -

we're a rural village, and we're about to be trapped between a

So is the environmental pain worth the

Nigel Harris, editor of Rail magazine, thinks it is.

So Nigel, in your opinion Britain plc

cannot do without the massive infrastructure project that is HS2?

We've doubled the number of passengers on our railways

since the last days of BR when 800 million people travelled -

We're going to have ten million more people in the next 20

Parts of the network are already full to bursting, and other parts

will be soon - we have to get ahead of that demand curve.

But unfortunately for people and nature

reserves that are in the way, it's a question of "Like it or lump it".

If you keep pushing there are amendments to be

had to the railway, but there will be one or two losers -

when High Speed 1 was built, they actually MOVED

one or two houses in their entirety.

But on a big project like this, there's always going to

opinions on HS2 aren't just dividing communities, they're dividing

We're walking along this line, which is where the HS2

Andrew Bridgen MP has been a vocal opponent of the whole project.

I met him on the planned route, near the village of Worthington

you're a Conservative member of Parliament, does that make you sit

quite uncomfortably? As a biologist, you know that a few

compartmentalised habitats you are going to impinge on the breeding

population. You are building a wall straight through the middle,

straight through ecosystems. I voted against HS2 every time it's been on

the floor of the House of Commons. It's going to have a huge impact, we

are taking all of the pain for none of the game. I'm going to continue

to oppose the project for the business case, the environmental

case, and the effects on my local area.

We contacted HS2, and in a statement they said:

We are currently consulting on a number of changes to the route

in the Midlands, and have actively engaged with communities

Going forward, we will continue to refine the design,

including the development of appropriate environmental

I'm ending the day in one of the most beautiful nature reserves in

the Midlands. The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said

the planned route will to put it bluntly, growing parts of this

nature reserve. And what's more, how HS2 went about assessing the least

environmentally damaged route right across England, was seriously

flawed. What is the line of HS2? If you look out beyond the water bodies

here, from the maps we've got so far it would up here that -- appear that

HS2 is going to come right from the back of the reserve, and we're

concerned that some of these water bodies are going to disappear. Do

you feel HS2 are taking their concerns seriously? The rich

selection is a major problem, and we think the Government is not

listening closely enough to the wildlife trusts and other

organisations who are raising concerns. We think the Government's

got to do a lot more to seriously look at the impact on wildlife, and

the natural world with this mega- infrastructural budget. HS2 says:

proposals in the East Midlands provide the best balance

between engineering requirements, cost, and the desire to minimise

impact on people and the environment.

of our best informed environmental organisations

So surely we need to listen to their concerns, as lines just

like HS2 will shape our local landscape for generations to come.

over the last few weeks, Tom Pryce has been travelling across the

Midlands to look at our bid for the UK City of Culture 2021.

This week, he is in Stoke-on-Trent. This week, he is in Stoke-on-Trent.

Stoke is known around the world for its ceramics. You can see that proud

heritage everywhere. But there is much more to Stoke-on-Trent, so

let's find out. So far I've visited Hereford, the

place of my birth, Coventry, where I was a student, and now I'm in Stoke.

I know you're thinking, what's my connection with Stoke?

Interestingly, I've never been here before. But there is a first time

for everything. For those viewers also uninitiated in the wonders of

the city, Stoke is unusual in its make-up. In the early 20th century,

it became one city. -- six towns most to make one city. Stoke made a

lot of money from pottery, and gained a worldwide reputation, but

with a relative demise of the ceramics industry, parts of the city

have fallen on hard times. Unemployment is more than 6%, and

the city is the 13th most deprived local authority district. But in

part that is the aim of the City of Culture. Yes, it's to promote arts

and culture, but it's also about giving city is a reason to

City of Culture, has really embraced City of Culture, has really embraced

this, with many people saying the city has never looked so good. So

will it be Stoke's turn in four years' time? I've come to meet

Councillor Abby Brown, who is leading the city's bid.

How excited are you? Hugely excited. The City of Culture

is a massive opportunity, and anyone's's anybody who see what's

been going on in Hull, can felt to be captured by what a fantastic

opportunity it is. I think I better go and find out about the art and

culture. What have you got? Quite a lot. Stoke holds a number of large

arts and performance events throughout the year, stages quality

theatre, and has a fantastic museum. Somebody who's been part of the art

scene since the 1980s, is Susan Clark, and this is the home of her

group. They work with all manner of arts projects and communities.

They've recently branched out. -- into baking. Culture is a really big

thing, it is a really big subject. People's way into culture... Just

spread that out first of all. People's way into culture needs to

be one that works for them, a pathway that works for them. And

that's why we use things like food, it's a great way of connecting

people. What -- but what would winning the title mean to the arts

community in the city? People need to get a nose Stoke, it's an amazing

place with so much potential, and place with so much potential, and

would give us is the chance to would give us is the chance to

really fulfil their potential. And really build a really strong future

for young people here. And that is so important. Susan's not the only

person who recognise the importance of investing in the youth of today.

In here is a nonprofit community space. People can come together with

professionals to make, play, think, learn and grow. Let's take a look.

We are a digital space, where we try and bring professionals together

with young people, to play, make, learn, grow, code, together. But how

does that fit in with the City of Culture bid. I think creativity and

culture dozens stop because technology's involved, I think it's

just another tool. -- does not stop. I think it's evident that digital

needs to be throughout our bid. And that doesn't just mean, let's get a

website, or, I've heard the kids are using stepchild. How are people

going to experience the activities that are going on. -- the kids are

using. --. TV star Nick Hancock is

passionate about the city. But he's not sure winning the title would

solve all the problems. I do always think that you can wrap up your

problems in as much shiny paper as you like and put a bowl on the top,

but it doesn't necessarily mean it is Christmas. But Liverpool won the

European City of Culture, Hull is looking good, it could be a great

thing. My only worry would be, and I don't want to be negative, that

there is a law of diminishing returns. Because by the time there

have been seven or eight cities of culture, it's watered down, isn't

it? So what does Nick think the bid team should be focusing on to

persuade the judges that Stoke is worthy of the title? We are

geographically in a really good spot between Birmingham and Manchester.

We've also, unfortunately, got an awful lot of space that can be

developed into whatever you want. There's probably more brown field

sites than nearly anywhere in Britain. So there is hope there.

One place that has certainly benefited from the empty spaces in

Stoke is a relatively new cafe run by a group of artists as a

collective. I think this might have been what the 1960s was like. This

is a totally volunteer run venture, and it is a cooperative of people.

We received this building in November 2015, and then we opened to

the public at the beginning of April 20 60. Has it become a social hub?

Yes, we get lots of different people in. The idea behind it is that we

are a space where people can come and talk about the arts and further

collaboration, and grow the scene from what it is now. So that it can

be something slightly stronger and bigger if we are all working

together. While empty spaces can be used to great effect, sometimes you

don't want a black canvas. The Emma Bridgewater factory, which in itself

proves the ceramic industry is still going strong here, has for the past

three years been hosting the literary festival. People love

coming and listening to top name authors here in the very creative

surroundings of a working pottery factory where there are good for

things being made every day. So it is quite a stimulating environment

for the kind of event. We've had Michael Pailin, David Starkey, it is

that calibre of fabulous top name authors coming to speak to an

audience who love books and writing. So there is clearly alludes to be

excited about. 'S artists and art enthusiast. But what about the

average person on the street? We're working hard on how you repurposed

the heritage buildings. That's part of the regeneration plan that we

have. But were also keen attract perhaps those things in the city

that maybe we've missed out on in the past, like larger hotel chains,

better shops, and perhaps being better connected through

infrastructure. On coming to the end of my time here. I've met some

fantastic people, and there's a real buzz about the bid. Oh, and I ate a

lot about bread. No, it's over to the judges. Watch this space. -- I

ate a lot of that bread. Nice one, Tom. The big decision

happens in December, so fingers crossed for all of you. If you'd

like to catch any of the films you see on Inside Out, head over to the

BBC iPlayer or follow us on Twitter. You can also drop me an e-mail.

We're not here next week, because of the FA Cup, so we'll catch you in a

fortnight. Have a good one. Goodbye! Will be back in two weeks' time,

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