Plan to tackle pollution launched

Barnsley Council's environment scrutiny commission ordered an urgent investigation into air pollution after worries were raised about

hotspots including a road junction and coke works.

The commission is made up of senior members of the authority who were alerted to particular problems at Eldon Street North in the town centre and in the village of Royston to the north.

Preliminary findings were presented to members of the council's ruling cabinet in February and now a series of specific responses to the problems has been formulated.

Officers from several of the authority's departments have been instructed to take action, including regulatory services, highways and engineering, planning and transportation and public health.

The action plan will be discussed at a meeting of the council's cabinet tomorrow and officers are recommending that leading councillors agree to take action in several ways.

One of the major recommendations is to implement a so-called travel plan for the council's workers, particularly those who drive to work in offices such as the new Westgate Plaza in the town centre.

Officers will tell the cabinet that a travel plan for the authority's staff was drawn up in 2007, but their report adds: "promotion of the plan and take up of initiatives has been low.

"Transportation officers are currently undertaking a full refresh of the Westgate travel plan and travel to work surveys have now been carried out with 85 per cent of staff responding.

"It is envisaged that a summary report and new travel plan will be submitted to the cabinet at the end of April 2010."

Council officers hope they can reduce the number of employees driving to other offices including Wellington House and Yorkshire House by implementing car share and other ideas.

According to the report, reducing car use is key to reducing air pollution because rush hour congestion is one of the biggest contributors to concerns expressed by the public.

Members of the environment scrutiny commission have drawn the cabinet's attention to one problem junction, where traffic lights lead to the build up fumes beneath a railway bridge.

It is thought that air quality is particularly bad at the bridge in Eldon Street North, and the commission has suggested that the traffic lights are moved to allow fumes to escape more easily.

But transport officers will tell the cabinet that the solution is not workable for "congestion and safety reasons" and that moving the

traffic lights may lead to worse problems elsewhere.

Instead, they suggest continuing to monitor the level of fumes building up in the area while more work is carried out to see if the change of signal timings could make a difference.

More action is also recommended in Royston, where local councillors and residents have campaigned for several years over the impact of the Monckton Coke and Chemical Plant.

The Environment Agency has already been involved in several studies of the air quality around the factory after residents alleged that it was having a serious effect on health.

The report will now call for a meeting between the owners of the factory, Durham-based Hargreaves Services, senior members and officers of the council, and the local MP Eric Illsley.

Environment Agency officers will also be asked to carry out more investigation into the source of pollution in the Royston area in order that more decisive action can be taken.