MADAM - In the week before Christmas we were all shocked and saddened to hear about the tragic death of little Ella Kissi-Debrah, whose death from air pollution was announced by the coroner. The UK consistently fails to meet the legal limit of nitrogen dioxide pollution, where the annual average concentration level cannot exceed 40 ug/m3.

In Bromsgrove the air quality is not good... Disappointingly, for the Worcester Road starting outside the Black Cross pub the level of exceedance was 56ug/m3 in October 2011…… and nine years later it is still exceeding legal levels at 43.99ug/m3. This is very bad news as it runs past St Peters First School, St John’s Middle School and South Bromsgrove High School.

According to recent data released by Public Health England up to 36,000 deaths per annum are expected from long term man made air pollution.

As one of three significant asthma sufferers in my family I am concerned by the disheartening lack of progress being made in the county and have written to Tony Miller, cabinet member with responsibility for the environment at Worcestershire County Council about the actions proposed; and last week Mrs Cobain, Interim Director of Public Health at the Council.

Going forward I accept that the Council have recently agreed to undertake a joint impact assessment of the environmental impact of any new projects it undertakes, but this alone will not solve the problem. I fear for the future health of our school children and I urge you to write to Worcestershire County Council and ask them to take the decisive and urgent actions now required.

Yours faithfully, 

Graham Bouchard 

Stoke Prior