Air pollution has dropped by almost 40 per cent in parts of Reading since the coronavirus lockdown was brought in, latest figures show.

Roadside monitoring locations on Oxford Road and on Caversham Road show that Nitrogen Dioxide levels have dropped by between 32 and 39 per cent in recent weeks since the Covid-19 lockdown was implemented.

With most people confined to their homes for the large part of the day, use of cars, buses and taxis has dropped dramatically, contributing to a fall in pollution.

Reading Borough Council (RBC) revealed the figures as it launched its final consultation on the new local transport plan.

Cllr Tony Page, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, said the consultation is “one of the most significant the council will ever undertake, especially in the context of the current health emergency”.

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The new strategy will set out the council’s plan for how travel changes in the town over the next 15 years.

The public consultation has been amended to ask for feedback on how the plan can contribute to Reading’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cllr Page explained: “While the transport strategy was drafted before the current health emergency, the longer term effects of Covid-19 are not yet known, with regard to society, the economy and people’s travel choices, which can have a huge impact on air quality as we have seen in recent weeks.”

The draft plan includes four “attractive, reliable and affordable” alternatives to the private car, such as a workplace parking levy and clean air zone, which the council says are key to tackling the climate emergency in Reading and meeting its 2030 net zero carbon target.

The transport chief earlier this year said it is unlikely that all four schemes will be introduced.

The plan also includes strategies for schemes inside and outside of Reading, such as the ongoing saga of the Third Thames Bridge and the infamous East Reading Mass Rapid Transport proposal.

You can leave your feedback on the transport strategy here up until August 30. (http://www.reading.gov.uk/transport2036)

Cllr Page also warned that the Climate Emergency “has not diminished or gone away”.

He said: “In ordinary times, air quality in Reading remains badly blighted by the many thousands of vehicles and lorries who have no origin, destination or purpose here and which continue to use the town as a short cut, polluting the air and damaging the health and wellbeing of residents.”

Air pollution is responsible for one in 16 deaths among people aged 30 or over in Reading, according to Public Health England figures.

The council is currently consulting on the new Reading Climate Emergency Strategy, which runs until May 31, 2020, here. (www.reading.gov.uk/climateconsultation)