Yorkshire town at heart of air quality drive

A town centre in North Yorkshire, named as one of the region's air quality blackspots, is to become a test-bed for pollution reduction measures.

Malton is the subject of a multi-million pound transport action plan, which could shakeup traffic management and deal with heavy congestion and pollution.

Ryedale District Council has commissioned a board to look into possible air quality solutions - including the introduction of 20 mph speed limits and the reduction of the number of heavy goods vehicles that are granted access to the town centre.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, councillor Keith Knaggs, who heads up the local council, said: "People have been urging action for years to remove heavy goods vehicles from Malton town centre.

"It is one of only three locations in North Yorkshire to break statutory air quality limits, the other two are in Harrogate."

Meanwhile, the council's head of environment Steve Richmond claimed that the 14-point action plan put forward by the commissioning board will be forwarded on to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine recently claimed they had found a link between low air quality in inner cities and heart attack risk.

Posted by Lauren Steadman