THE local authority will be carrying out further surveying of HGV trips in Launceston, a meeting recently heard.

Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Launceston Central, Gemma Massey, said this work would take place, during her update to Launceston Town Council on December 19.

She said this further study work would ‘see how many are doing deliveries and how many are using it as a detour’.

Cornwall Council is on track to soon declare Launceston an ‘Air Quality Management Area’ (AQMA), as air pollution levels in the town are higher than they should be — particularly in the Newport Square and St Thomas Road area on the A388, where the biggest source of nitrogen dioxide is the exhaust gases from cars and lorries.

Cllr Massey explained she and colleague Cllr Jade Farrington, Liberal Democrat, Launceston South ward, recently tasked the council to ‘look into improvements to pedestrian areas’.

She said this includes a scheme already talked about locally — widening the bridge at Newport and the potential for an extra pedestrian bridge.

“As with everything it takes a little while to get the momentum going,” she added.

“It’s really positive that’s now going higher. Things are progressing. We are just waiting for final funding and say so.”

Drafts regarding this were recently presented to Cornwall Council’s chief planning officer and the strategic director for economic growth and development.

Cllr Rob Tremain said: “It’s good to hear things are starting to move on Newport bridge.”

He asked, in relation to the traffic survey, had Cornwall Council taken into account St Stephens Residents’ Association’s traffic study, which around 100 residents carried out in that area of the town in the spring of last year.

Cllr Massey said: “They have got all that together already. They want to see if there’s any measures we can take immediately. It’s very much been included.”

Cllr Massey also said she has been pushing to increase local bus services for the past year and that Cornwall Council is now looking at more frequent services and better vehicles in terms of emissions and ‘how to make them more useable for residents’.