CHIDEOCK Parish Council is calling for ‘immediate action’ after the village is named as a pollution hotspot which breaches air quality limits.

The A35 Main Street in Chideock is one of the top 10 locations in the south west - and the highest in Dorset - which campaign group Friends of the Earth claim have breached the annual Air Quality Objective for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels, which is set to protect health.

Main Street recorded the ninth highest NO2 level in the region, with 58.9ug/m3 – well above the limit of 40ug/m3 set in the Objective.

Parish councillors say that after 20 years of trying to find a solution to Chideock’s pollution, ‘something has to change’.

In a statement released yesterday, Chideock Parish Council said: “For over 20 years the parish council has sought a number of solutions to the problems associated with a trunk road – the A35, which everyone agrees is not fit for purpose.

“However, almost all of these proposals have met opposition from the various responsible authorities either due to lack of funding or because the smooth flow of traffic on a strategic highway was considered more important than the lives of the people who live on the route.

“This report evidences the impact on the citizens in this village and cannot be ignored without recognising that pollution contributes directly to their physical health.

“Where the national governments have focused on air pollution in cities and towns, the reality is that villages that sit in pollution hotspots are being ignored.

“Chideock Parish Council is calling on the secretary of state to address as a matter of urgency what measures can be taken to immediately address the issues of pollution in the village, including consideration of an emissions zone.

“After 20 years of talking, it is time for action. Something has to change.”

High levels of NO2 can cause a flare up of asthma or symptoms such as coughing and difficulty breathing. A leading cause of NO2 pollution is emissions from road traffic.

With toxic air above limits affecting huge swathes of the UK, Friends of the Earth is campaigning for Clean Air Zones to be rolled out in far more places than are currently being planned, supported by measures such as improved infrastructure to support safe walking and cycling.

Mike Birkin, south west campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “It is unforgivable to see so many locations across the region over air quality limits, leaving thousands of us breathing dangerously polluted air.

“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 under-resourced.”

Highways England is responsible for the A35.

Head of Environment Ian Le Fevre said: “We aim to deliver £100m of investment through to the end of March 2021, as set out in the Government’s Road Investment Strategy, to better understand the issues of air quality on our motorways and major A roads and to deliver improved air quality.

“We are already establishing a network of approximately 50 automatic air quality stations to measure nitrogen dioxide across our road network in England to help improve our knowledge of air quality and allow us to evaluate the impact of our solutions including any new technologies.”

South West locations ranked by annual average level of NO2 (in ug/m3):

1. Quay Road, Tideford – 73.6

2. A37 Temple Cloud, Bath & NE Somerset – 67

3. A38, Dean Prior, South Hams – 66.3

4. Ashley Road St. Pauls, Bristol – 65.1

5. St Thomas Road, Launceston – 62.4

6. Air Balloon roundabout, near Birdlip, Cotswold – 61.4

7. Newfoundland Way, Bristol – 61.2

8. East Wonford Hill, Exeter – 59

9. Chideock Main Street, West Dorset – 58.9

10. Mill Road, Tideford, Cornwall – 58.8