Oxfordshire Council launches £200,000 plan to cut air pollution

Thousands of people attended a protest against traffic measures in February

A £200,000 plan to cut air pollution has been unveiled.

Oxfordshire County Council says it is the "biggest environmental risk to public health".

The authority has launched its Air Quality Strategy which will be overseen and delivered by a dedicated member of staff.

Some of the policies already introduced to reduce vehicle use have been controversial, with protests over Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs).

The strategy aims to reduce emissions of outdoor and indoor air pollution and protect people most at risk.

As well as cutting vehicle use, it aims to use planning to build houses and schools away from major roads and provide energy efficiency advice and retrofit programmes.

Long-term exposure to air pollution is estimated to have affected 320 early deaths in Oxfordshire in 2021 and up to 38,000 deaths a year in England.

'Balancing act'

Public health councillor Michael O'Connor said: "It's everyone's business and if we don't do anything about it then people will very concretely suffer.

"We must never forget that air pollution kills."

Oxfordshire County Council hopes the project will encourage walking, cycling and shared and public transport use

In February, thousands of people gathered in Oxford to protest against measures to cut congestion in the city.

Bollards and planters used to block streets in LTNs have also been vandalised and set alight.

Mr O'Connor said it was "a difficult balancing act".

"As to where the balance lies, that's a difficult decision," he added.

Asthma and other lung conditions can be exacerbated by air pollution levels.

Timothy Hinks, Associate Professor of Respiratory Medicine, University of Oxford, said: "Air pollution is driving a whole load of different problems, and they particularly affect young people and people who have less money and live near to the busy roads."