Fears that serious illnesses could develop at Leominster as a result of air pollution from heavy traffic are driving town councillors to press their calls for a relief road.
Members are making renewed demands for a solution to a pollution blackspot in the Bargates at Leominster, which has been identified in a Herefordshire Council air quality study as one of the two worst areas in the county.
Details of Leominster’s hopes for a relief road were passed to the authority yesterday (Tuesday). Town clerk Christina Bromage told the town council that members’ views were required by council officer Steve Burgess, at Hereford, who was involved in preparing a report for one of Herefordshire Council’s cabinet members.
Brigadier Peter Jones told the town council that pollution at the lower end of the Bargates was an “indisputable fact”. He insisted: “It does exist, it isn’t a myth and something’s got to be done about it.”
Councillor Roger Hunt outlined the fact that the road provided a “gateway to Wales” and was regularly used by HGVs. “We have a big problem here and it needs addressing,” he said. “It’s absolutely essential if people aren’t going to start going down with serious illnesses.”
Councillor Hunt believed the increased numbers of HGVs through Leominster was due to regeneration moves by the Welsh Assembly. “The road they use comes through Leominster and we have to deal with it,” he said.
The Mayor, Councillor Peter McCaull, said MEP Neena Gill had paid a personal visit to Leominster to see at first hand the “horrendous” numbers of queueing lorries at Leominster’s busy cross-roads in the centre of town.
He claimed that suggestions for “tweaking” the traffic lights as a means of easing queues were not enough.
Councillor McCaull said West Midlands MEP Mike Nattrass has also studied a copy of a traffic survey by consultant engineers Morgan Tucker, commissioned by the town council.
“He agrees that something must be done and he supports our calls for a relief road,” said Councillor McCaull. “In our opinion there is no alternative method to remedy the problem but to remove the source.”
The mayor urged the clerk to send a message to Herefordshire Council this week pointing out their own figures outlined in an air quality report.
Councillor Brettina Meadows added that she could taste diesel fumes and was at times left coughing as a result of riding her disability scooter in the town.
