LEZ will actually see rise in some areas

‘The trouble with city restrictions, on top of discriminating against poorer vehicle owners, is they send those vehicles round the outside.

‘That creates more congestion on the edge of the zone, those held up or going the longer distance burn more fuel and then more pollution is generated in surrounding streets.’

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: ‘It’s extraordinary that the councils’ own reports suggest their LEZs could actually increase pollution in the surrounding areas.

‘Given that the air quality in Scotland’s major cities is already within legal limits and “excellent” according to weather monitoring, and with the costs and difficulties these zones impose on residents and businesses, they increasingly look pointless or counter-productive.

‘Under the SNP Government and their extremist Green partners, virtuous gestures have become more important than scientific evidence, the needs of residents or local firms, or the wider economy.’

We revealed last week how 1.1 million cars, around a third of the total in Scotland, will be banned from cities in the bid to cut emissions.

This comes despite the SNP Government’s own data showing

‘Could increase pollution in surrounding streets’

pollution levels are already recorded as ‘low’ in all the areas involved while commercial weather monitoring stations show ‘excellent’ ratings across all sites.

Crucially, levels of NO2 – which Glasgow City Council also cites as the main reason for introducing its LEZ – also fell within legal limits last year in all four city centres.

Older diesel and petrol vehicles deemed to be too environmentally unfriendly will be prohibited from the LEZs.

The first, in Glasgow, will be enforced by a ring of fine-issuing spy cameras – with Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee to follow next year.

Business leaders have slammed the scheme and called for a pause on enforcement.

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: ‘Traffic emissions and pollution concentrations are related but not interchangeable.

‘Whilst small increases in traffic levels and emissions might be expected in some areas of the city, the LEZ modelling shows a much larger decrease in concentrations of the harmful air pollutant NO2 on all surrounding roads.

‘There is therefore no expectation of displacement of air pollution from one area to another as a result of Glasgow’s LEZ.’

Councillor Scott Arthur, the City of Edinburgh Council’s transport and environment convener, said: ‘A great deal of traffic and air quality monitoring was carried out in the development of Edinburgh’s LEZ in partnership with Sepa and the Scottish Government.

‘Ultimately, it is anticipated that, as well as reducing air pollution in the busy and densely populated city centre, the LEZ will have a positive effect on air quality across the city. While it is expected there may be some localised impacts in the West End, these will be short-lived and the benefits of the scheme will far outweigh all negative impacts.

‘We’ll also be carrying out a robust monitoring regime to observe the impacts of the LEZ.’