PLANS to tackle rising levels of air pollution in Southend have been agreed.

Southend Council has drawn up a three year action plan in response to high levels of nitrogen dioxide.

Among the pollution hotspots is the stretch of the A127 between the Bell and Cuckoo corner junctions.

Government guidelines state levels of nitrogen dioxide should not exceed 40 micrograms per cubic metre.

Readings the last time they were taken had the level at 44 micrograms at the Bell junction.

This led to an “air quality management area” being declared along this section of the A127 and the appointment of a specialist to devise the plan to bring air quality levels within acceptable limits. 

Reporting to Southend Council’s cabinet on Tuesday, Mark Flewitt, councillor responsible for public protection said: “What are we doing about it?

"Two essential things a steering group and intelligence hub. The steering group is going to have all sorts of people serving on it, public health, transport planning, engineers, air quality specialists and councillors. 

“Then there will be the intelligence hub which will look at the councils 31 urban traffic control sites using all kinds of digital material to extract any information we can possible manage that will lead us to be able to combat the nitrogen dioxide excess.“

Mr Flewitt added:  “There are over 700 air quality areas, some of them very close to home. The whole of Rayleigh town centre. How many times to do we say we’ll pop into Rayleigh, it’s a nice quiet town on Saturday.

“Yes, but it’s full of bad air sadly.

“For those that drive, or even those who are regular passengers in cars or public transport, we are all inadvertently contributing to that.

“We are going to try and combat the effects of nitrogen dioxide and it’s very important we do so.

“We can all do something towards helping our air quality.

“It’s not a fait accompli.”

Councillors and highways officers expect report on their investigations into the Bell improvements in January.

Council leader John Lamb said:  “We’ve done a lot of work along the A127 and A13 on traffic light systems, junctions and controls.

“The Bell will be the last junction to get done before we look at a number of other things along the A127.

“We need to ease the congestion that creates the problem.”