Air Quality in South Oxfordshire scroll down to get started...
If we don't do something soon, problems with air quality in three South Oxfordshire towns could start to cause health problems for local people.
So what can we do about it?
We asked some air quality experts to see what we could do, and we'd like to know what you think of the ideas they've suggested.
On their own, most of these ideas won't make a big difference - but if we did them all, the benefits would add up.
They have come up with a couple of ideas for two of our most affected towns - Wallingford and Watlington - which would make a big difference. They might seem quite drastic, but it's a serious issue - if we really want to tackle it, we may have to make some sacrifices.
What are these ideas? Scroll down to find out more...
South Oxfordshire as a whole
There's no easy way to tackle vehicle emissions in a large, rural area like our district. Here are some ideas that won't cost much to do, and together can make a small contribution to improving air quality in our towns and villages.
- Promoting and encouraging people to use electric vehicles.
- Educating and encouraging people to change how they drive and how much they drive.
- Asking bus companies to make a promise about limiting their the emissions - they do this in the city of Oxford.
- HGV and bus driver training.
As you can see, there are ways we can contribute to improving air quality across the district, but it's most important to tackle the issue directly in the places where there's a real problem.
Scroll down to find out what we can do in these places...
Wallingford
The problems in Wallingford are caused by lots of traffic coming into the town at the same time and sitting stationary at the traffic lights with their engines running.
What can we do about it?
The air quality experts have said the best way to tackle this problem is to look at stopping certain traffic from using the bridge into town at certain times of day.
Don't worry - this doesn't mean permanently closing the bridge to cars, but it could prevent people from cutting through the town thinking it's a short-cut. This would mean fewer cars sat at the traffic lights, pumping out harmful emissions.
What difference will it make?
Putting restrictions on who can use the main bridge into the town at certain times of the day is the only realistic way to significantly reduce harmful emissions in Wallingford.
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Watlington
There are a number of reasons in Watlington that means the emissions from the heavy traffic can't escape from the town.
What can we do about it?
Improving the traffic flow through the town means larger vehicles wouldn't spend as long stationary whilst pumping out harmful emissions. Preventing people from parking on Shirburn and Couching Streets will help to keep vehicles moving.
There is a 7.5 tonne weight restriction that is meant to stop larger vehicles cutting through the town. More enforcement of this weight limit would help to keep out the vehicles that shouldn't be there. This will reduce the number of HGVs, although many of them are allowed to be there, so this will never get rid of all of them.
What difference will it make?
Making sure the roads are clear and keeping traffic moving would make a real difference in Watlington. Cars parking along the street make it even more difficult for larger vehicles to get through, meaning they spend much too long in the town pumping out harmful emissions.
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Henley
Unfortunately, the air quality experts haven't been able to identify any actions specific to Henley that would make a significant difference in the town. This is because the situation in Henley is very complicated and unlike Wallingford and Watlington, there is no single effective solution.
This is why it's important we carry out the district-wide actions mentioned earlier - these will contribute to improving air quality in the town.
We'd still like to hear from Henley residents, businesses and visitors though - it's helpful to hear ideas from the people who know the town best. There may be solutions the air quality experts haven't thought of.
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