West Suffolk Council consults residents in Great Barton, near Bury St Edmunds, about plans to cut pollution on the A143 close to the village primary school

Businesses and residents living in Great Barton, near Bury St Edmunds, are being asked for their views on an action plan to tackle air pollution – close to the village primary school.

One of the key proposals is to reduce the number of Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs) passing through the village.

In 2017, nitrogen dioxide levels were found to be exceeding national thresholds along a stretch of the A143.

This led to the former St Edmundsbury Borough Council creating an Air Quality Action Plan to bring levels back under the 40 micrograms per metre cubed (μg m-3) limit.

Part of the problem was identified in a built-up area close to a pedestrian crossing, near Great Barton Primary School, which meant pollution was being trapped rather than dispersing naturally into the air.

West Suffolk Council, which has a responsibility for monitoring pollution levels, worked with Suffolk County Council to relocate the pedestrian crossing, bringing nitrogen dioxide levels back down to 34.5μg m-3.

Now the council is revising its Air Quality Action Plan for the area, to ensure any increase in traffic over the next few years, doesn’t lead to pollution levels exceeding the thresholds once more.

In order to meet a deadline for its renewal, the council has launched a public consultation which will run until January 22, 2024.

Proposed actions include: reducing the number of heavy goods vehicles travelling through the village and improving the flow of traffic along the A143.

Work could also be done to ensure new developments contribute positively to local air quality.

Residents and businesses in and around Great Barton are able to find out more about the plans, here, on the West Suffolk Council website.

Cllr Gerald Kelly, cabinet member for governance and regulatory at West Suffolk Council, said: “The council has a legal responsibility for monitoring air pollution levels across the district. Where levels of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide are found to have exceeded levels set by the Government, we will work with partners to try to address the issue.

“We have seen success in bringing pollution levels down in this area of Great Barton, but we are also conscious that traffic and the numbers of heavy goods vehicles using the road may increase over the coming years and could push nitrogen dioxide above the thresholds once more.

“That is why we are looking to refresh our Air Quality Action Plan for the area and are now asking residents and businesses for their views on a range of measures that we can further explore to address this issue.”

In November this year, one Great Barton resident called for a village bypass, due to safety concerns.