YORK'S plan to cut harmful air pollution could include a freight depot on the edge of town where lorries offload their goods in low emission natural gas powered vans.
A "Clean Air Zone" in the city centre is also likely to be part of the plan, due to be approved or rejected by a leading councillor on Monday.
The Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) could see the council try to build a "freight transshipment" depot on the edge of town to keep lorries out of the city centre, and a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) brought in to insist that buses which go through the city centre the most have to be "ultra low emission" by 2018.
The AQAP is up for a decision today [Monday] nearly a month after it was put off to give staff more time to look at pleas put forward by some councillors.
Green councillor Andy D'Agorne was one of those who called for the further actions. He said: "Revised proposals include further reports on a business plan for a freight transshipment centre to keep big delivery vehicles out of the city centre and on possible signs and bylaws to outlaw leaving diesel engines ‘idling’ in places like Rougier Street.
"These are all welcome, although we are still doing far to little to end dangerous exhaust pollution levels which particularly affect the young and elderly."
Now Cllr Andrew Waller, the executive member for the environment at City of York Council, is due to either approve or turn down another draft.
He is being urged to accept a series of changes to the earlier plan which include the freight depot, the Clean Air Zone for buses, and an "Eco Stars" scheme to reduce emissions from both commercial and council-owned vehicles.
The idea of a freight depot for York has been considered several times over the past decade.
As well as raising concerns over pollution in the city-centre, fears have also been raised about damage caused by lorries in narrow city-centre streets.
Twice in recent months, city-centre buildings have been struck by HGVs.
In September, a Poundworld lorry became jammed in Coney Street
In August, Pyramid gallery in Stonegate was damaged by another delivery lorry.
Following those incidents, police last month issued warning tickets to drivers parking irresponsibly.
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