A KNUTSFORD councillor has called for the door to be opened on a bypass for the town to improve air quality.

Members of Cheshire East Council’s environment and regeneration overview and scrutiny committee debated the council’s draft local transport plan and an action plan to improve air quality at a meeting on Monday.

While the council’s plans suggest Disley could be set for a new bypass, a possible new road around Knutsford was not included – although the council is set to carry out a ‘study’ of the A50 in the town next year.

And Cllr Tony Dean, Conservative member for Knutsford, called on borough chiefs not to forget about his ward.

“I understand you intend to do an A50 corridor study once the M6 work is finished next spring,” he said.

“That’s really important because it is from that study that we would prove one way or another that there is a requirement for a relief road to take HGVs from the town.

“The A50 goes straight through the town centre, so all the kids at all the schools – everybody is breathing in all these fumes. I just want some confirmation that it hasn’t been forgotten.”

Frank Jordan, acting deputy chief executive of CEC, reassured the committee that work would be done in towns across the borough to look at congestion in each area.

He said: “What we are doing around the local transport plan is committing to doing studies in each town area which will identify the need for services, and that will inform future programmes.”

CEC is currently working on bypasses for Congleton and Middlewich, while it is also considering a relief road around Disley.

The local transport plan is due to be considered by CEC’s cabinet before being approved by full council next January.