Defra to receive assessment into Colchester air quality

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is hoping to see action taken to improve air quality in Colchester.

Bosses at the organisation asked Colchester Council to provide results on how congestion in the town centre can be reduced in order to cut down on emissions, the Daily Gazette reports.

The Brook Street area of the Essex town had been identified as an air monitoring zone in 2006, after readings showed high levels of nitrogen dioxide.

Mersea Road had also been highlighted as an Air Quality Management Area and now councillors are looking at ways to improve the airspace in the region.

"Defra has asked us to do a detailed assessment, which we've done," said Colchester Council's environmental control manager Belinda Silkstone.

"We monitor about 60 sites across the borough and it's only a few that cause us problems."

Elsewhere, the York Press reports that Labour candidate for Fulford in Yorkshire Owain Gardner has called for an investigation into the air quality of the area.

Posted by Joseph Hutton