THE majority of Launceston town councillors agree a one-way traffic system for St Stephens Hill would be a good way to tackle air pollution in that area of the town, writes Amy Dennis.

More suggestions were mooted at the town meeting on November 21, as Cornwall Council is seeking is seeking its views ahead of declaring Launceston an ‘Air Quality Management Area’, after the local authority found excessive levels of traffic related nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the Newport Square and St Thomas Road area.

It was agreed an extraordinary town council meeting would be held tonight (Thursday), 7pm at the town hall, to discuss further suggestions before the town council puts its response to Cornwall Council.

Mayor of Launceston, Margaret Young, said the local authority’s findings on air pollution were ‘blinding’.

The concentration of NO2 is measured in micrograms (µg) in each cubic metre of air.

The annual mean concentration limit (µg/m3) is 40, and the 2017 data, which is subject to change, showed that the levels were 44.63 at 9 Newport Square; 41.36 at Tannery House, St Thomas Road; 40.46 at 39 St Thomas Road; 44.67 at 46 St Thomas Road; 78.68 at 42 St Thomas Road and 47.07 at Duocott, Cnr St Thomas Road/Wooda Road.

Cllr Young said: “They are quite interesting findings. It’s what’s going to happen next that I would like to know.”

Cllr John Conway put forward a suggestion of expanding the road from Liftondown to Jays Cross, so traffic heading towards Holsworthy could bypass Launceston.

He also said he would like to see a footpath from the bottom of Ridgegrove into the back of Newport Industrial Estate, as outlined in the cancelled TRAC project, and a footpath or cyclepath from the end of the ‘road to nowhere’ at Kensey Valley to Ridgegrove Hill, to connect to Newport Industrial Estate.

Cllr Conway said: “If we can get people walking or cycling we will get less vehicles. We need to push these sort of things. The air quality is poor and this is the excuse to try and get some improvements for traffic management.

“We need, as a town council, to push forward to make Launceston a safer place to live, and to do that we need to improve air quality.”

In suggesting a one-way system for St Stephens Hill, Cllr Rob Tremain said: “You have to travel miles in Par to get around the one-way system and they have managed.” However, he added: “Someone much cleverer than me needs to come up with how to improve air quality,” saying on the one hand councils want to encourage infrastructure and jobs for Launceston and for people to visit town, but on the other they want people to use cars less.

Cllr Paul O’Brien, in response to the suggestion of expanding the road from Liftondown to Jays Cross, said it would require the backing and funding of Devon County Council, but feared its response to such a suggestion ‘would be short and possibly Anglo Saxon’.

Cllr O’Brien also brought up the proposal to take away the pavement on the bridge over the river Kensey and provide a separate footway for pedestrians, making the road wider for vehicles.

Cllr Val Bugden-Cawsey, former chairperson of the St Stephens Residents’ Association, formed last year, referred to a traffic study around 100 residents carried out in that area of the town in March, and disputed Cornwall Council’s claims that 70% of traffic flows are local journeys.

She added of the one-way St Stephens Hill suggestion, which she described as ‘the elephant in the room no-one wants to address’: “For every 50 vehicles that go up St Stephens Hill, only one comes down.”

Cllr Conway voted against supporting the one-way system, fearing the road would become a ‘race track’.

Cllr Dave Gordon asked if the town council’s traffic study on behalf of the town strategy group could be sent to Cornwall Council as the town council’s response to the air quality consultation. Newer councillors requested to see this document and it was agreed to discuss ideas further at the extraordinary meeting.

Cornwall Council wants to hear from as many people as possible about the proposal to declare an Air Quality Management Area in Launceston, and if they have any of their own ideas about how air quality could be improved.

There are eight other Air Quality Management Areas in Cornwall, which include Camelford, Bodmin, Camborne-Pool-Redruth, Grampound, Gunnislake, St Austell, Tideford and Truro.

People can complete the local authority’s online survey via www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/environmental-protection/environmental-protection-air-quality/launceston-air-quality/; email [email protected]; telephone 0300 1234 212; post your comments — you can write, fill in the questions on the leaflet or print out the online survey. Address correspondence to Environmental Protection, Cornwall Council One Stop Shop, Dolcoath Avenue, Camborne, TR14 8SX, or hand in your comments to any One Stop Shop.

Adam Paynter, Cornwall Council’s leader and Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Launceston North and North Petherwin, said: “Don’t miss out on your chance to share your ideas about improving air quality in Launceston. There’s been a good response to the consultation so far, and we want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to be involved.”

Sue James, Cornwall Council cabinet member for environment and public protection, added: “Cornwall Council is committed to making Cornwall greener and healthier, and we have a number of projects underway to improve air quality across Cornwall. Once we’ve considered people’s comments and the Launceston Air Quality Management Area is officially designated, we’ll be able to start work on an individual action plan with the best options for Launceston.”

The consultation closes on Friday, December 8. All comments received during the consultation will be taken into consideration and the boundary of the AQMA will be finalised. Cornwall Council will then formally declare the area an Air Quality Management Area.

- CORNWALL Council aims to begin monitoring air quality in St Stephens and other areas of Launceston in the new year.

At a meeting of the town council last week, councillors discussed Cornwall Council’s consultation on declaring Launceston an ‘Air Quality Management Area’, after the local authority found excessive levels of traffic related nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the Newport Square and St Thomas Road area.

Town councillor Val Bugden-Cawsey, former chairperson of the St Stephens Residents’ Association, referred to a traffic study around 100 residents carried out in that area of the town in March, and disputed Cornwall Council’s claims that 70% of traffic flows are local journeys. She expressed disappointment that the survey was sent to Cornwall Council, and said she had no response.

A spokesperson from Cornwall Council said: “Cornwall Council received a copy of the St Stephens residents’ traffic survey on September 18. The Launceston Community Network Panel meeting on September 21, which was attended by representatives from St Stephens Parish Council, discussed options to undertake air quality monitoring in the St Stephens area and other parts of Launceston once equipment becomes available. Cornwall Council aims to begin this monitoring in January 2018.”