Coventry Telegraph

COV HAS MOST POLLUTED ROAD IN MIDLANDS

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH REVEAL 218 SITES IN REGION THAT EXCEED GOVERNMENT TARGETS

- > ENDA MULLEN REPORTS:

COVENTRY has the dubious honour of having the most polluted stretch of road in the Midlands when it comes to pumping out nitrogen dioxide.

Environmen­tal campaign group Friends of the Earth carried out an audit to reveal the 218 sites in the region which have exceeded government targets for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels.

Of the ten locations recording the worst NO2 pollution, six were in Birmingham but Holyhead Road in Coventry claimed top spot in the most polluted list.

One of the main arterial routes into the city centre, Holyhead Road had already been confirmed as the most polluted stretch of road in Coventry but now it has been declared the most polluted in the West Midlands.

In order to meet the annual Air Quality Objective a site must have an annual average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) level below 40ug/m3.

The figure for Holyhead Road was almost double that at 75.6 ug/m3.

Exhaust emissions are one of the main causes of NO2 pollution.

High levels of the pollutant are linked to respirator­y problems such as asthma flare-ups or coughing and difficulty breathing.

Friends of the Earth’s findings were obtained from the most recent local authority annual Air Quality Status Reports submitted to government.

Coventry City Council is already aware Holyhead Road is the city’s worst pollution hotspot and is soon to submit an £83million plan to the Government aimed at tackling high levels of pollution in Coventry.

The council is under severe pressure to reduce the city’s NO2 levels as they are forecast to exceed legal limits in 2021.

The council needs to submit its Local Air Quality Action Plan by March, with proposals requiring final approval from the Government who will finance the ten-year scheme.

Failure to agree a plan could see a ‘Clean Air Zone’ imposed on the city, although a recent cabinet meeting was told this would be “economical­ly disastrous”.

At that meeting cabinet member for jobs and regenerati­on Cllr Jim O’Boyle said “pinch points” where levels of nitrogen dioxide are at their highest had been identified, along

with potential measures to reduce them.

Proposals include encouragin­g the use of electric-powered taxis, retrofitti­ng cleaner engines on 100 buses, introducin­g new walking and cycling routes and carrying out road layout improvemen­ts.

Additional plans include the proposed closure of Coundon Road in Spon End, along with the introducti­on of a peak-time traffic ban on Holyhead Road.

This would take place between the railway bridge and the ring road junction and involve an inbound closure in the peak morning hours, and outbound closure in the peak evening hours.

Traffic lights at Holyhead Road/ Barras Lane would also be removed, and HGVs would be banned at Holyhead Road between the railway bridge and the ring road.

Friends of the Earth, which is campaignin­g for more Clean Air Zones, singled out a number of roads in Coventry which exceed the annual Air Quality Objective for NO2 levels.

Other roads in Coventry identified as pollution hotspots included stretches of Walsgrave Road, Trinity Street, Fairfax Street, the Greyfriars taxi rank, Corporatio­n Street, part of London Road, Spon End, Hearsall Lane, stretches of both Foleshill Road and Longford Road, Burnaby Road, Holbrooks Lane and Stoney Stanton Road.

Warwickshi­re pollution hotspots identified included Midland Road in Nuneaton and Wise Street in Leamington.

Chris Crean, West Midlands campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “It’s unforgivab­le to see many locations across the region over air quality limits, leaving thousands of us breathing dangerousl­y polluted air.

“Air pollution is harming the health of people across the country and is especially bad for young children whose lungs are still developing.

“The Government needs to step up and do more to deal with this air pollution crisis - they can’t just carry on leaving the difficult decisions with local authoritie­s, many of which are severely underresou­rced.”

The Government needs to step up and do more to deal with this air pollution crisis Chris Crean, Friends of the Earth campaigner

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 ??  ?? Coventry City Council is already aware Holyhead Road is the city’s worst pollution hotspot and is soon to submit an £83million plan to the Government aimed at tackling high levels of pollution in Coventry
Coventry City Council is already aware Holyhead Road is the city’s worst pollution hotspot and is soon to submit an £83million plan to the Government aimed at tackling high levels of pollution in Coventry
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