SIX hundred people have signed a petition calling for the council to stick to plans over a “clean air zone” in York.

City of York Council has set itself a target of creating a clean air zone in the centre of York by 2018 - by taking action on things like highly polluting diesel buses.

The campaign is pushing the authority to make sure promises are kept and the amount of dangerous fumes emitted in the city centre are cut.

Green party councillors and campaigners delivered the petition to city council offices this week, and they say almost 600 people are backing their calls.

Rosie Baker, who ran for council in the Micklegate ward by election, started the petition.

She said: “Although there are signs of improvement there are still over 100 people dying early each year in York, because of pollution.

“It’s not all about penalising car drivers. A Clean Air Zone would mean targeted enforcement action against coaches parked with their engines running, supporting individuals and businesses to make cleaner transport choices and financial support to smaller bus operators allowing them to upgrade their vehicles operating in urban areas.”

Green group leader Cllr Andy D’Agorne also explained that they wanted York to be included in a list of Government Clean Air Zones.

He said: “We have responded to the government consultation calling for tougher action on air quality.

The 2015 air quality plans identified mandated Clean Air Zones as more effective than voluntary Clean Air Zones which is why we need York to be included so that legal limits of nitrogen dioxide can be met in the shortest time possible.”

Andy and Rosie delivered the petition to City of York Council headquarters on Thursday morning, accompanied by Micklegate councillor Lars Kramm and Green party volunteer Danni Makin, to coincide with National Clean Air Day, on June 15.

The petition specifically calls for more action against people leaving their engines running, and it mentions the fact that of the UK’s 43 air quality zones, York is one of 38 that have failed to meet Nitrogen Dioxide limits stipulated by the EU “and are unlikely to do so before 2020”.

Cllr D’Agorne said public education over things like turning off engines while waiting at bus stops or outside schools could be part of the solution.

He said: “We have got a system which is probably the best air quality monitoring in the North of England, but we are not doing anything about it.”Earlier this year, former councillor Dave Merrett warned clean air targets would never be met without using electric buses on all six Park and Ride routes.