ENVIRONMENTAL officers will keep an ever-closer eye on Middlewich over fears air pollution will rise in a notorious traffic hotspot.

Cheshire East Council is set to make part of Lewin Street an air quality management area (AQMA) as a precautionary measure after it found levels of harmful nitrous dioxide (NO2) in 2017 were above the target level at two locations on the road.

It will be the second AQMA in Middlewich, joining a stretch of Chester Road close to Lidl.

In its annual air quality report, which will be sent to Defra, CEC said: “Monitoring results suggested that a precautionary approach should be taken with the areas around Lewin Street, Middlewich and Chelford Road, Knutsford.

“Therefore, the council will be declaring these two areas as AQMAs and will be reviewing their boundaries in the future.”

Local authorities have a legal responsibility to declare AQMAs, which are designated areas where air quality targets are either not being met or are likely to be breached.

CEC monitored air quality along Lewin Street from four diffusion tubes in 2017 – two near the library, and two near the White Horse, on each side of the road.

Against a target annual mean average of 40 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3), the two diffusion tubes on the Sandbach-bound side of the road recorded higher levels of NO2.

The tube opposite the White Horse recorded an average NO2 level of 40.32 µg/m3, while the tube opposite the library recorded an average of 42.83 µg/m3.

At a scrutiny meeting on Monday, Cllr Mike Parsons, CEC member for Middlewich, suggested the return of passenger trains to Middlewich could help improve air quality in the town.

“There is concern at Lewin Street and there is possibly even greater concern at the A54, in Chester Road,” he said.

“What would make a great difference in the infrastructure into, out of and around Middlewich would be the reopening of the Northwich to Sandbach railway line.

“This project is potentially further forwards now than it ever has been, but I’m sure that a push and a recommendation from this committee would go a long way.”