Lincoln has been declared an Air Quality Management Area, signalling the start of 18 months of intensive research and planning to improve the city's air quality.

Air quality checks by the City of Lincoln Council's Environmental Protection Team have identified 12 junctions in Lincoln where small airborne particulates', known as PM10's have exceeded recommended amounts. PM10's can be naturally occurring, but are also emitted from vehicle exhausts and industrial sources.

Rather than declare the 12 junctions only as Air Quality Management Areas the City Council has decided it will be more effective to apply the Order to the whole of Lincoln.

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Ian Wicks, Pollution Control Officer for the Council explained: "Yes high PM10 levels have been identified at 12 junctions but it is traffic from homes and businesses across Lincoln, as well as that which is passing through the city, that contribute to these levels. All the roads in Lincoln are interlinked so for us to plan to relieve traffic at 12 junctions we actually need to look at how we can reduce emissions from road traffic throughout Lincoln and beyond. By declaring all of Lincoln an Air Quality Management Area the Council can now produce an Action Plan that considers the city as a whole rather than just concentrating on isolated junctions."

Now Lincoln has become an Air Quality Management Area, the Council has 12 months from to carry out investigations to identify where the pollution is coming from. An Air Quality Action Plan to combat air pollution must then be drawn up by August 2009.

(CD/JM)