Air quality in Marlborough has dropped

The air quality in Marlborough has dropped as a result of a rise in toxic fumes, it has been revealed.

Earlier this week, environmental protection officer Gary Tomsett told Wiltshire Council that two streets in the area had exceeded European Commission safety standards of the levels of nitrogen dioxide, the Gazette and Herald reported.

The recommended maximum level of nitrogen dioxide is 50, wile areas in Marlborough had reached 55 and in parts of Salisbury had hit 70.

Mr Tomsett stated that the problem tends to deteriorate in the market towns due to narrow streets that often get crowded.

"It is made worse in Marlborough because the street is uphill," he told the newspaper.

The local authority is now conducting an air quality survey to determine which areas are problem spots and what the council can do to reduce the pollution there.

Wiltshire Council is currently under duty to maintain a good level of air quality under the 1995 Environment Act, which commits the local authority to continually assess and manage its toxic pollutant levels.

Posted by Lauren Steadman