WILTSHIRE Council has said that it will continue to make a case for more funding from the Government to help combat air pollution in the county.
The statement has been made in response to a local campaigner who urged that Wiltshire Council, with the support of the Melksham Area Board, Melksham Town Council and Melksham Without Parish Council, should fight to be included in the next stages of the Government’s clean air strategy.
Wiltshire Council was not allocated any funding from the Government’s £255million implementation fund earlier this year.
In the last issue of the Melksham News, member of the Melksham age-friendly steering group on Melksham Area Board, Brian Warwick said, “I am deeply concerned at the deterioration in air quality, particularly along the A350 and the town centre and the increases in reported asthma sufferers.
“We need to ensure that because of the extra traffic along the M4 corridor and the A350 to southern ports, we have a strong case to be included in the next stages of the national clean air strategies.”
In response to the concerns raised, a Wiltshire Council spokesperson said, “This funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is not available to us as it is restricted to a small number of authorities with more severe air quality problems.
“However, any possibility of additional funding would be beneficial and we will continue to make the case for Wiltshire. We would welcome funding being made available to all authorities with Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs).”