ENVIRONMENTAL officers will keep an ever-closer eye on Knutsford over fears air pollution will rise at a notorious traffic hotspot.

Cheshire East Council is set to make part of Chelford Road an air quality management area (AQMA) as a precautionary measure after it found levels of harmful nitrous dioxide (NO2) in 2017 were above the target level at one location on the road – called CE94 by council officers.

It will be the third AQMA in Knutsford, joining a stretch of Manchester Road close to the Canute Place roundabout and the A556 from Bowdon to Tabley.

In its annual air quality report, which will be sent to Defra, CEC said: “The model result recommends that there is no need to declare an AQMA.

“However, because of the exceedance observed at diffusion site CE94, the council will work towards declaring the relevant parts as an AQMA within the next 12 months.

“The council will continue to monitor in the area to ensure that robust data which will help understand the air quality trend in that location is gathered.”

Local authorities have a legal responsibility to declare AQMAs, which are designated areas where air quality targets are either not being met or are likely to be breached.

CEC monitored air quality along Chelford Road from three diffusion tubes in 2017 – one north of Legh Gardens, called CE94, plus two to the south of Buckingham Drive.

Against a target annual mean average of 40 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3), CE94 had NO2 levels of 45.06 µg/m3 – although the other two diffusion tubes picked up pollution figures significantly below the target.

A study on the A50 corridor in Knutsford is set to take place next year, after smart motorway works on the M6 in Cheshire end.

At a CEC scrutiny meeting on Monday, Cllr Tony Dean, Conservative member for Knutsford, said the study would be ‘the first brick in the wall’ for a bypass around town – although officers have previously said the town is unlikely to attract funding for a relief road due to low growth.