20 October 2015
Green campaigners are calling on councillors to tackle traffic jams in one of Weymouth's worst polluted streets.
People living along Boot Hill says their lives are being made a misery by queues of cars belching out fumes.
Now residents have arranged a public meeting so people in the area can talk directly about their problems to councillors and traffic officials.
Campaign organiser Clare Sutton, who lives nearby, said:
"The long waits at lights around Boot Hill, Rodwell Road and the Harbour junction are frustrating for motorists...but are making life almost unbearable for the people actually living there.
"Many houses along Boot Hill have no front gardens or only very small ones, so the pollution is literally right outside their front door."
Levels of pollution, measured by monitoring machines, have long been among the highest in Weymouth.
But, according to residents, the smell of fumes has increased since the roundabout at the top of Boot Hill was replaced by lights.
Clare, the Greens County Council candidate for Rodwell, said:
"A really bad situation just seems to have got worse."
The public meeting has been been organised to try bring everyone together to tackle the issues.
Campaigners have also:
written to First Bus asking them to put newer -- and cleaner -- buses on the routes along Boot Hill and Rodwell Road.
investigated a scheme to plant small trees by the roadside to help absorb the fumes.
Schemes elsewhere show the trees can help reduce air pollution.
pressed officials to provide more detailed figures on the levels of air pollution in the area.
Clare added:
"There are no quick fixes. The traffic has to go somewhere. But what we are trying to do is to work with everybody involved to make life more bearable for people living in the area."
"People are extremely fed up and distressed. They've been told the levels of pollution are officially just inside acceptable levels. But that is meaningless to people who can't open their windows, bear to be in their garden for more than 10 minutes, or had to increase their asthma medication."
***The public meeting to address concerns among residents in the area will be held at 7.30 on Tuesday December 1st in the Old Town Hall in High West Street. Everyone welcome.
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