Tories halve councils' cash to fight air pollution in England

Local authorities will get just 500,000 - down from 1m last year and 3m in 2011-12 - despite manifesto pledge to increase efforts to tackle dirty air

The government has halved the amount of money it gives English local authorities to fight air pollution, despite a manifesto pledge to do more to tackle the UK's dirty air.

Just 500,000 will be distributed to councils including Leeds, Manchester, and Southampton for 2015-2016 under the air quality grant programme, the environment department has confirmed. That is down from 1m the year before and 3m in 2011-2012.