9:50am Friday 10th July 2009
By Alex Lewis
FIVE years after a danger zone was declared around the Peahen junction in St Albans city centre to because of air pollution, it has been extended as the problem is worse than ever.
The district council, which declared an air quality management area (AQMA) to the north of the heavily congested crossroads in 2004, has just extended it to shops and flats on the opposite side.
Tuesday's cabinet approved the move on learning that latest air quality readings show nitrogen dixode, which exacerbates asthma and other breathing illnesses, while increasing vulnerability to infections, is likely to exceed safe levels in the area next year.
Other areas of the city centre liable to dangerous pollution levels include the junction of Watsons Walk and London Road and the east side of St Peter's Street.
When the AQFM was declared in 2004, the authority made a plan to reduce slow-moving traffic, including improving bus routes and encouraging cycling, but with no sign of improvement it now has to draw up proposals for tougher action.
The extended AQFM includes shops and flats on both sides of the top of Holywell Hill, where nitrogen dioxide is likely to exceed an annual average of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre in 2010.
David Clark of Clark's Camera Centre told the Review: “In the summer when we have the doors open smoke and fumes are always coming into the shop.
“We had an official device measuring air pollution on our shop for a while but what happened about it I don't know.
“We do get a lot of unpleasant smells from cars. Fortunately none of us suffer from asthma or anything like that. Working here we just get to accept the traffic – maybe to our detriment.
“If anything could be done to reduce the cars stopping on Holywell Hill that might help.
“There was talk at one time of making Holywell Hill one-way but that seems to have fallen flat.
Probably that would that would help the pollution.”
Elizabeth Barber of St Andrew's Bookshop said: “The Review is good at highlighting issues and it is about time it highlighted this one because it certainly is a problem.”
Her colleague Robert Hall said: “The problem is the traffic lights up the top of the hill.
“About 18 months ago they started a new system which leaves them on red much longer. Cars are now waiting for more than a minute – none of the drivers use their handbrakes, they just sit there on their clutches revving up so you get this horrible smell of burning all the time.”
District council officers propose to look at ways of smoothing city centre traffic flow but admit in their report to the cabinet: “There are no legal or government sanctions that can be taken should the council fail to achieve its action plan targets.”
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