Air quality in Wales gets worse despite new traffic scheme

The air quality in a Welsh town has dropped despite implementing a new traffic system in January 2010.

Figures have shown that air pollution has increased since the traffic system layout was changed earlier this year, the Shropshire Star reports.

Speaking with the newspaper, councillor Russell George said that there has been a large increase of nitrogen dioxide levels for the first half of 2010 when compared with the same period the previous year.

"Since the new traffic layout and management system was put in place, congestion in Newtown has got significantly worse," he said.

The report released by Powys County Council's environmental health team revealed that there were high levels of the gas recorded despite being an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), which is aimed at encouraging towns to improve their levels of air pollution.

According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs AQMA data, the local authority has not released any action plans on how it intends to do improve its air quality.

Posted by Lauren Steadman