YORK'S bid to become the UK's first all electric bus city could see diesel buses removed from the city by spring 2023.

If successful - City of York Council could get more than £40m from the Government and match funding from bus company First - as part of plans to cut air pollution.

Council figures say up to 163 people die prematurely because of poor air quality in York every year - more than the combined number of those who die from obesity and road accidents.

And that diesel pollutants may also damage some of the city's historic sites - including York Minster and the city walls.

As part of their bid to the Department for Transport, the council says work is already being done to boost the number of electric buses, adding: "We believe that a fully electric bus town in York could be delivered for only around one-half of the available funding."

Bus use has fallen in all parts of Yorkshire and Humber region except York - where it has increased in the past eight years.

The bid says pollution remains a problem - with the air quality management area (AQMA) in the city centre recently extended.

It says: "York’s tall buildings and, particularly, narrow streets result in 'canyonisation', where emissions from buses and other vehicles are trapped and dispersion is hindered.

"The highest recorded levels of NO2 recorded in York’s city centre AQMA during 2019 were 47μg/m3, which is considerably in excess of the 40μg/m3 health based objective level."

"With an increasing population and thriving local economy, preventing further emission growth and improving air quality remain significant and difficult challenges for the foreseeable future."

Reducing sulphur oxide emissions - released from diesel buses - would also "help to protect the many internationally important heritage sites in York from the impacts of acid deposition, including York Minster and the city walls".

The local authority has teamed up with all the bus companies to bid for the cash and Northern Powergrid says 106 buses could be charged at First's James Street depot with only limited upgrades to the network.

Further satellite charging location for up to 30 more vehicles is planned.

Surveys found that in any given one hour period, there was the equivalent of six hours of buses idling in York.

An announcement about the outcome of the bid is expected next spring.