Historic street tops Worcester's most polluted list

The Butts topped the list in the report by Worcestershire Regulatory Services

An historic road in Worcester is one of two in the city which exceed the legal limit for harmful pollution, according to a report.

The Butts, a city centre thoroughfare, topped the list of Worcester's polluted streets in 2022.

Receptors placed outside Magdala Court registered an average of 43.9 micrograms per cubic metre of pollution in the air. The legal limit is 40.

The junction of Astwood Road and Rainbow Hill was also above the limit.

A receptor at the site registered an average reading of 41.5 micrograms per cubic metre of air last year.

Fifth lower

Neither location managed to clock below 40 in more than half of the months in 2022, according to the report by Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS).

The pollution measurement only fell below 38 in The Butts in one month last year.

The remaining top 10 worst polluted areas in Worcester all registered average readings of 35 micrograms per cubic metre of air or higher - with many close to exceeding the legal 40 limit.

Average pollution readings in streets included among Worcester's top 10 most polluted:

• Bridge Street - 39.1

• The Tything - 38.8

• Foregate Street - 38.8

• Upper Tything - 38.7

• George Street - 38.3

• All Saint's Road 35.9

The whole city was classified as an "air quality management" area in 2019 because of worrying levels of pollution.

The report found all but one of more than 30 receptors across Worcester saw readings increase from the previous year. However, it said 2021 was not a "standard" year and was unfair for comparison as it was still affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

WRS, a shared service working for six district councils, said readings across the city were on average nearly a fifth lower in 2022 than in 2018, which was the last non-Covid year.

More than 30 pollution receptors across Worcester were studied

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