THE air that people breathe in Winchester city centre is getting cleaner, a meeting heard.

The drop in traffic in lockdown has been a major factor but the improvement has been maintained since restrictions eased and traffic, the main polluter, returned to near normal.

The city centre has been an Air Quality Management Area since 2003 after concerns that it was among the most-polluted places in Hampshire, with heavy traffic in a congested area.

David Ingram, head of environmental health and licensing at the city council, said air quality has improved since 2003. Levels of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) has fallen in the Covid lockdown and the drop continued into 2021 and 2022.

He said: "This is good news and has surprised us. We thought there would be a more rapid increase back to pre-pandemic levels."

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Mr Ingram, speaking at the health and environment policy committee, said the focus would switch to countering particulate pollution, often from diesel engines.

NOx levels were within current legal levels but PM pollution was still above World Health Organisation (WHO) limits, said Mr Ingram.

The council has two monitoring stations, in St George's Street and Romsey Road.

Pollution had improved in St George's Street but levels in Romsey Road were still high, at 36ug/m3, close to the WHO statutory limit of 40.

The worst-affected area outside the city centre is Martyr Worthy Road near the Cart and Horses junction in Kings Worthy, where it is 25ug/m3.

Mr Ingram said more work needed to be done to achieve all WHO targets.

One idea would be to limit lorries to certain times of the day; another was to introduce electric buses on the park and ride services.

Cllr Jackie Porter, cabinet member for place and local plan, said more electric vehicles were being introduced, with the ambulance service and waste collection companies investigating options.

As well as more electric vehicles another reason for the air improvement was the change to work practices with more people working from home and changes to the rush-hour. Cllr Porter said: "The peak time is more spread out. People are going to work but over a longer period of time."

She said the council was committed to further action. "We are never going to cease until we get down to as low a level as we can."