WESTBURY Town Council is to buy its own equipment to monitor air quality in the town in response to growing concerns over pollution.
Westbury councillors say that the equipment is vital as Wiltshire Council is not doing enough to fight pollution, particularly along the A350 which is the busiest road in the whole of Wiltshire, next to the M4, carrying upwards of 30,000 vehicles a day.
The town council hopes that the data that will be collected will put pressure on Wiltshire Council to do more to reduce pollution levels in the town.
Westbury was declared an ‘air quality management area’ (AQMA) in 2001 along parts of the A350 due to worrying levels of nitrogen dioxide. Since the AQMA was declared, Wiltshire Council says that the level has been decreasing.
However, the A350 through Westbury is still of particular concern. Nitrogen dioxide levels in Warminster Road and Haynes Road were one and a half times the figure for the A350 through Melksham.
The highways, planning and development committee at Westbury Town Council has put forward a recommendation to purchase their own air quality monitoring device that not only measures nitrogen oxide, but also other pollution including particulates from exhausts, brakes and tyre shredding.
Mayor cllr Mike Sutton, told White Horse News, “Westbury has been identified as one of the 6 areas in Wiltshire where air quality is below the recommended level and where there needs to be improvements but unfortunately Wiltshire Council did not see fit to produce any plan to reduce the level locally.
“It should be mentioned that the measuring device records over a 24 hour period and accepting that there is not a high level of heavy traffic during evening and night periods, then the concentration in the peak times must be much higher and as that is also the time that residents and particularly children are about, then the particulates ingested during those times must be very high and injurious to health.
“Councillors on Highways Planning and Development Committee were not convinced that pollution is not a danger in other areas and has recommended to the town council that more advanced measuring equipment is bought. These will be deployed in various parts of the town to enable Westbury to get an accurate picture of the pollution.
“Where pollution is above the recommended level we will be asking Wiltshire Council for their improvement plan which so far has been noticeable by its absence.
“All that has been offered so far is the vague promise that sometime in the future, depending on finance and policy, Westbury may get a traffic alleviation plan which is really no plan at all.
“We note that although Melksham was not listed as having air quality problems the money has been found for a second by-pass there whilst Westbury has yet to get any traffic alleviation plan.”
At the council meeting, cllr Ian Cunningham said, “At the moment in the town we only have diffusion tube measuring provided by Wiltshire Council, However, this monitoring doesn’t measure other components, in particular it doesn’t look at the particulates from exhausts, tyre shredding and brakes, which has a significant effect on pollution levels.
“The devices I propose that we might like to buy are not hugely expensive, £4,000 each, and that includes the first year of running costs. It is portable too, so we will be able to move it around and it will then report on the different levels. We can then move it on a fairly regular basis.”
Cllr Cunningham added, “We could make the information publically available on our website. Ultimately, the results will show us one of two things. The figures could come back and things aren’t that bad, which I think would do a lot to allay fear and concern in the town and show that you are not being hugely poisoned.
“Secondly though, if we do get high levels we could put pressure on Wiltshire Council, who are supposed to have an air quality management plan. We could say ‘We have some data here that shows you should be doing something, you are very lucky that you have a very clear county, that is rated a 2 on the national index on average, but there are six places within the county that have problems and should be getting a bit more love and care about their air quality issues and we are one of them and we have these figures to show it.’
“Whilst these results are not legally actionable, they are certainly high enough quality to say this to Wiltshire Council.”
Westbury Gasification Action Group campaigner, Nadia Evans, said at the meeting, “I don’t know what the budgeting of the town council is and maybe something of the order of £6,000 is right at the top or further down, but this is something that affects everyone in Westbury, wherever they live because most people would come through the town.
“Surely the amount of money doesn’t matter as this is about the health of the people. Whatever the outcome is, it will inform the situation for us. Why are you discussing it at length, surely there should be no discussion about this, it’s worth doing, surely.”
Cllr Gordon King said, “It is quite a budget commitment, so I suggest we buy one, prove the theory and then if necessary, increase the spend so there is a blanket coverage thereafter. It is a large financial commitment for something that we suspect, and can’t prove.
“There is a strong correlation between nitrogen oxide, which Wiltshire Council measures, and particulates, so where there is high levels with one, chances are there will be high levels with the other.
“Westbury is only 49µg/m3, which is extremely low on anybody’s standards. Does that really warrant us doing our own survey?
“Wiltshire Council only measure nitrogen oxide because that is what central government tells them they should do. However, this equipment would be a great way to lobby for change from the bottom.”
Councillors on the committee voted to propose purchasing one air quality monitoring device, which will be reviewed after two years. The final agreement will be made by a meeting of the full town council.
A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said, “The council has established local air quality groups to spearhead local initiatives to improve air quality in the areas where AQMAs have been declared. These groups report directly to their area boards. The groups are composed of local councillors, interest groups and private individuals and they draw upon expertise of other services and experts as they deem necessary. They are tasked with reporting to their area board annually. Group activity varies across the county and we will revisit Westbury Area Board to provide support and assistance.”
