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THE FIRST results of an air quality monitoring test in Otley have been revealed.

Otley Green Party is undertaking a six month air monitoring exercise in the town centre because of concerns about pollution from standing road traffic - and especially diesel vehicles.

The party has been focusing its efforts around Manor Square traffic lights and now has the results for the first two months of the survey.

Annual average concentrations of Nitrogen Dioxide are not supposed to exceed 40 micrograms per cubic metre of air - but the findings in Otley showed that limit being exceeded at times.

Otley Town Councillor Mick Bradley (Green, Danefield) said: "Our initial findings from the first two months, February and March, show high average levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) of between 36 and 58 micrograms per cubic metre

where cars wait for the lights in Manor Square, Kirkgate and Westgate.

"I would stress this is only the first two months and we are testing over six months in total - and readings drop as distance from the main road increases.

"In addition, exposure at these levels is only likely to affect the health of vulnerable groups who are resident close to the junction.

"However it does raise the question about how can we find ways to reduce the amount of traffic congestion in our town to make Otley a healthier place to live?

"This would involve looking at reducing both the number of vehicles, including HGVs, passing through and the number of local trips made by car rather than walking, cycling or public transport."

A report in 2016 by the Royal Colleges of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health found that outdoor air pollution contributed to 40,000 early deaths in the UK each year.

Otley Green Party is set to complete its study in July and says it will have a fuller picture of how clean the air in the town is then.

All of its samples are from air monitoring diffusion tubes which have been mounted at the road side in three town centre locations, and are being independently tested by experts at West Yorkshire Analytical Services.