Air now safe to breathe on Wiltshire’s most polluted roads
For over a decade Wiltshire Council has been monitoring nitrogen dioxide and PM10 levels on polluted roads across the county
The air is now safe to breathe on Wiltshire’s most polluted roads, according to a new report.
All eight Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) in the county have achieved legally compliant levels this year, according to Wiltshire Council.
The council has hailed “the achievement of a significant milestone, as it is the first occasion that all AQMAs have been in compliance of UK Air quality requirements since they were declared.”
At a meeting of the council’s Environment Select Committee next Tuesday (September 9), councillors will be asked to consider applying for permission from the Department for the Environment to revoke the AQMA orders.
For over a decade – and in some cases nearly 25 years – Wiltshire Council has been monitoring nitrogen dioxide and PM10 levels on polluted roads across the county. The eight current AQMAs are:
Mason’s lane, Bradford on Avon (since 2001)
New Road and London Road junction, Calne (since 2013)
Wadworth Corner, Devizes (since 2009)
Herd Street and Barn Street, Marlborough (since 2011)
Warminster Road, Westbury (since 2001)
The ring road, Salisbury (since 2007)
London Road, Salisbury (since 2007)
Wilton Road, Salisbury (since 2007)
DEFRA demands local councils notify them when the annual mean of 40 micrograms of nitrogen dioxide per cubic meter of air is exceeded.
At Masons Lane in Bradford on Avon, which was consistently Wiltshire’s most polluted road, levels were over 75 micrograms in 2013. This level has fallen year by year and is now below 40.
Diesel cars are a major contributor to nitrogen dioxide levels adoption of private electric vehicles and public EVs – like the fleet of 23 electric buses in Salisbury – has been a major contributor to the reduction of particulates.
Wiltshire Council has also introduced changes to highways to reduce air pollution.
The levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air can aggravate respiratory diseases and cause respiratory infections in people, especially children and the elderly.
However, the focus has recently shifted to levels of PM2.5 – small particles in the air that can increase the risk of health problems and be damaging to the environment.
The council recently announced the launch of the Wiltshire Community Air Network project, which will see 100 ‘citizen scientists’ monitor air quality throughout the county.
In 2025 Wiltshire Council intends to begin the development of a new air Quality Strategy for Wiltshire.