MAJOR roads in the city are exceeding national limits of pollution, a report has found.

Pollutant levels have been breached in London Road, Foregate Street, The Tything, Castle Street, The Butts and Sansome Place with congestion fumes being the biggest cause.

Local authorities are required to monitor air quality in their areas and to declare an air quality management area (AQMA) where national objectives are not met.

As nitrogen dioxide levels have exceeded the national target of 40mg/m2 for three consecutive years, city councillors must respond and it is likely they will declare an AQMA.

Following the declaration of an AQMA, the council has a duty to produce a plan to identify ways to reduce the level of nitrogen dioxide and to improve local air quality.

The findings follow a report by Worcestershire Regulatory Services who were asked to investigate air quality in the city by Worcester City Council.

AQMAs already exist in Lowesmoor and Rainbow Hill, Bridge Street and Dolday and whilst air quality improved in the Lowesmoor and Rainbow Hill area over the last three years – to the point that the order may be revoked next year – levels have crept back over the national target.

Nitrogen dioxide levels in Dolday and St Johns continue to stay above the national limit and show no signs of easing.

Cllr Alan Amos, cabinet member with responsibility for highways, said: "AQMAs are notoriously difficult to tackle, because measures to completely resolve them would incur significant costs and disruption to road users.

"London Road, the Butts, Foregate Street and the Tything are all important arterial corridors into and through Worcester city centre.

"To mitigate further deterioration in air quality, Worcestershire County Council continues to invest heavily in renewals of traffic signals, to better manage traffic flow in the city and improve the reliability of journey times.

"A key reason why Worcestershire County Council is pursuing enforcement of the bus gates in Lowesmoor is that those vehicles that are currently ignoring the restrictions place additional pressure on this section of the network, creating temporary gridlock and worsening air quality issues in Foregate Street and Lowesmoor.

"Meanwhile, the Government is taking steps to encourage take up of low emissions vehicles, including electric and gas powered options.

"It is expected that gradual conversion of the national fleet over time will result in significant improvements to air quality, which will ultimately eliminate the need for designated AQMAs in future."