John Kemble Court subject to the most polluted air in Rochdale

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John Kemble Court

Residents living at John Kemble Court, housing for older people adjacent to Sudden junction, are being subjected to the most polluted air in Rochdale.

The OL11 4QP (John Kemble Court) postcode has a rating of four, which means there is a strong chance of nitrogen dioxide levels exceeding the annual legal limit. Asthma sufferers should manage exposure and exercise levels, and there are likely to be some health impacts of long-term exposure.

The data comes from MappAir100 by EarthSense, a project to map concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) across the country.

The majority of the borough has relatively clean air, a rating of one, which means there is an extremely low chance of nitrogen dioxide levels exceeding the annual legal limit. The air in such areas is generally clean.

Some areas close by the M62 motorway and major junctions have a rating of two, which means there is a low chance of nitrogen dioxide levels exceeding the annual legal limit. The air in such areas is generally clean and should not cause health concerns except in exceptional weather conditions.

Andrea Fallon, Rochdale Borough Council’s director of public health and wellbeing, said: “Reducing ill-health linked with air pollution is very important to us and we are currently working with our partners at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and other Greater Manchester local authorities to reduce emissions and help improve air quality.

"Our key message is for people to reduce the number of car journeys they make and swap them for more environmentally-friendly transport methods like cycling or public transport. For those journeys which need to remain on the road we are also working to encourage cleaner vehicles, cleaner fuels and more efficient operations.

“The area around John Kemble Court has been highlighted as part of a larger Greater Manchester air quality management area, identified as a priority for air quality measures due to being near motorways, major roads and urban areas.

"We are committed to improving air quality and meeting legal responsibilities for nitrogen dioxide levels as soon as possible.

“Our advice for residents with breathing conditions, such as asthma, living or working in these areas is to limit their exercise levels whilst outdoors, to reduce any health impacts of long-term exposure.”

The pollution level in your area can be checked by entering your postcode into a search box on the BBC website at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42566393