Worcester air quality action plan ready to be approved

The city council's environment committee will be asked to give the go-ahead to its five-year plan on Tuesday, November 5.

The plan outlines a number of steps the council hopes to take in order to improve air quality across the city, including increasing electric vehicle charging points, improving the city's cycling and walking infrastructure, and discouraging lorries from driving through the city centre.

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The council also plans to work with schools and communities to improve air quality.

The proposals in the action plan follow a seven-week public consultation held earlier this year.

The council says that feedback given from the public and Government has been incorporated into the plan.

Councillor Zoe Cookson, chair of the environment committee, said: "Poor air quality can have a negative effect on both people and our environment, leading to increased potential for illness and, in cases where someone suffers long-term exposure to heavily polluted air, death.

"That is why it is so important that we put the right measures in place to tackle this issue now and into the future.

"Thank you to everybody who gave their feedback and helped us to shape our Air Quality Action Plan.

"We have also received advice from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and amended the plan accordingly."

The previous air quality action plan for Worcester, adopted in 2013, resulted in several infrastructure changes, including the building of the soon-to-be-opened Kepax pedestrian bridge.

It also included a successful bid to the Government for 10 low-cost real-time sensors to provide a live air quality monitoring network.

The live data will help focus measures to continuously improve air quality in Worcester.

Worcester City Council has worked with representatives from Worcestershire County Council, Public Health, the NHS, and the University of Worcester to produce the new plan.