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Road the only relief for pollution problem

The ‘only way’ to tackle Newry’s chronic air pollution problem is the development of the southern relief road. Over Christmas monitoring stations in the Canal Street and Trevor Hill identified an increase in harmful particle matter – marking the city out as the worst in Northern Ireland for air quality. In the past measures such as smokeless zones have been implemented as a means of tackling the problem but according to the Council’s Director of Environmental Health John Farrell there is only one real solution. “It is because of our topography and traffic,” he said. “The only way around it is for the Southern Relief Road to be built. We have to take traffic out of this city.” These were sentiments echoed by Newry Chamber of Commerce CEO Orla Jackson who said that although the Relief Road was the long term solution to the problem, short term measures were also required. “in the long term the creation of a Southern Relief Road would go some way to alleviate the situation by creating a movement of traffic in the city centre,” she said. “In the short term improving the energy efficiency of homes in the area so that less heating time is required, switching to a cleaner fuel and increased use of renewable energy will have a positive impact. It is important that the Government Departments responsible for the environment, roads, housing and health work together on a strategy to address the situation.”

 

Newry Reporter

7th January 2015