AIR quality in Swindon is better than that in towns of a similar size, a council public health boss has said.

The borough was recently forced to make an Air Quality Management Order, after pollution levels on Kingshill breached legal limits. The order gives the council 12 months to develop an action plan to tackle the dangerous oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) pollution.

However, public health director Cherry Jones said that – compared to other areas – air quality in Swindon was good.

She told a meeting of the borough’s Health and Wellbeing Board on Wednesday: “We have got very good air quality in Swindon. I think where we have been very proactive in identifying some areas of concern, we can actually take some action and work collaboratively to improve the air quality in Swindon.

“This is our first Air Quality Management Area we have had to declare in Swindon. If we look at our neighbours, Wiltshire have had to declare eight areas, West Berkshire have had to declare four areas and South Gloucestershire has declared three neighbours.”

However, she admitted that the “main concern” in Swindon was NOx pollution.

The comments came as councillors approved the recommendations of a new Joint Strategic Needs Assessment on Swindon’s air quality.

Bringing together evidence about levels of air pollution in Swindon and its impacts, the report recommended that the council:

:: Ensure that cars in Swindon are “as clean as possible”

:: Prioritise active transport, like walking and cycling

:: Form a multi-agency working group focussed on air quality

Council chief executive John Gilbert said that his officers were currently looking at the potential for installing electric vehicle charging points in car parks.