Air pollution link to 59 West Berkshire deaths in 2010

Public Health England has issued estimates of the number of people who die in different local authorities owing to long-term exposure to man-made particulate air pollution (PM2.5).
For West Berkshire, it estimated that it contributed to 5.5 per cent of the 1,074 deaths of those aged over 25 in that year.
Authors of the study said people whose death was hastened by pollution lost an average of 10.6 years of their lives.
However, the district had the lowest percentage estimate of air pollution-related deaths (compared to its overall population) than the rest of Berkshire.
The highest was in Slough, where 6.8 per cent of deaths – 51 people – had been estimated, followed by Reading at 5.9 per cent (62 deaths).
The report was published just one week after the south east region was given the highest possible rating of 10 for air pollution levels by Defra, attributed to dust blown from the Sahara, local emissions, light winds and pollution from Europe (pictured is Newbury during that time).
Air pollution levels are something that are monitored very closely across the district, West Berkshire Council’s executive portfolio holder for environmental health Dominic Boeck (Con, Thatcham South and Crook-ham), said this week.
Two known hotspots – the A339 roundabout junction with St John’s Road, Newbury, and the Chapel Street section of the A4, Thatcham – are monitored by the council. In 2012, they were found to be failing the Air Quality Standard Regulations for N02 levels, measuring 55.9 and 45 micrograms per cubic metre respectively, both above the 40mcg limit.
The council intends to form a car club on a pay-as-you-drive system – one car in the pool will be electric – to help to reduce vehicle emissions, as part of its air quality action plan.
Mr Boeck said: “The most important point is we actively measure air pollution at 50 locations across the district, and it’s a rigorous and scientific method.
“The good news is West Berkshire has very good quality for air but, of course, there are hotspots, as to be expected. Traffic-related pollution is our biggest problem. Luckily the M4 doesn’t really pass through any of our heavily-populated areas.
“Our focus is on the areas of potentially the highest impact.”
He said that the council had also considered introducing a low emission zone on parts of the A339, but that it could be difficult to enforce. He added that he was unsure what impact a HGV restriction on the A339 through central Newbury would have, as considered by the district council earlier this year.
“We have to be very careful with traffic restrictions because there’s a knock-on effect,” he said. “We need HGVs to have access to our commercial zones. The A339 is an important artery for us.”
Newbury MP Richard Benyon said: “These are averages so it’s not right to say that 59 deaths in West Berkshire are definitely the result of air pollution.
“There are national and local strategies for dealing with air pollution hotspots.”
He added that there was no need for people to be alarmed as West Berkshire was not an air pollution danger zone.