SO several roads across the borough number among the dirtiest in Greater Manchester.

A report on the levels of pollution across the city revealed that one of the places worst affected by emissions from cars, lorries and buses are the trunk roads that run right through Bury and in Radcliffe and Prestwich.

Not good news if you live nearby, and thousands of people do.

Not good news if your school playground is nearby, and several are.

Bury’s environment chief, Cllr Alan Quinn, says that the news is no surprise.

He says the problem is the government’s and they should do something about it. Cabinet member for environment, Cllr Quinn, claims that the Government is now trying to pass responsibility for the issue on to local authorities, after being sued by environmental activist organisation Client Earth.

Cllr Quinn said: “There is ongoing work because the Government has dropped this on us. We are trying our best in trying circumstances, and if they gave us the necessary powers and money we would be able to solve this.”

Some of us are old enough to remember 1987, when the Green Party rode a wave of popularity across the country on the back of the Montreal Protocol. That was chiefly about saving the ozone layer and getting rid of CFCs.

Back then even Americans were talking of ditching big cars in favour of small European models that used less gas, emitted fewer pollutants and were better for the planet.

What happened we wonder? Why haven’t governments been more forceful with the motor industry? Why haven’t they invested in cleaner public transport? Why, 31 years later, do we seem to be in no better a place?

Because governments always bow to the those with the biggest purse, that’s why.

Will they ever plan and act for the long term?