The city of Portsmouth is consulting on how to implement a clean air zone, as data suggests pollution continues to exceed government limits in areas of the city.

Despite a drop at the start of the Coronavirus crisis, air pollution levels have been identified to be higher than government air quality objectives along parts of seven different roads in the city.

The government has mandated cities implement a Clean Air Zone, as they believe this will address air pollution in the shortest time possible, although Portsmouth’s cabinet member for Environment and Climate Change, Dave Ashmore questioned the idea saying, “We believe funding from government could be used in better ways to improve air quality, including scrappage schemes for polluting cars, improving cycling networks and subsidising bus travel. However, government has told us to implement a zone and we want to make sure we do this in the best way possible for our city by giving everyone the opportunity to have their say in the consultation.”

The consultation will ask for views on how the zone should operate and how the city can fairly support impacted drivers to replace or retrofit their polluting vehicles.