Lutterworth campaigners hold silent protest against pollution levels in the town

Campaigners in Lutterworth held a silent protest to show concern about pollution levels in the town.

The Lutterworth branch of the Labour Party is demanding action from Harborough District Council to improve air quality.

Members held the protest outside Lutterworth Town Hall on Friday (December 9) and say many drivers sounded their horns in support.

Branch party chair Sandra Parkinson said: “We have had enough of being fobbed off, and we will continue to protest until Harborough council act. We welcome others to join us.”

The town centre has been an Air Quality Management Area since 2001 and residents have demanded a bypass to relieve congestion.

But despite being in a version of the draft Local Plan – which shapes the future of the district until 2031 – it was not included in the council’s final version of the document.

The party says there has been a fall in some pollutant levels through the introduction of electric and hybrid vehicles but there is still harm from tyre and brake particles and diesel fumes from lorries and HGVs.

Harborough District Councillor and Lutterworth Town councillor Paul Beadle David Gair added “Yet again Lutterworth has been let down by Harborough’s controlling Tories. The new local plan was a perfect opportunity to get this vital by-pass on the drawing board.

“Harborough council missed an open goal and residents will continue to pay the price for their refusal to accommodate the public’s health and environmental concerns. We need them to look again at this solution urgently before the final Local Plan is agreed.”

But district council leader Phil King says the authority’s recent Air Quality Annual Status Report shows in 2021 there were no reports of national air quality levels being exceeded in Lutterworth Air Quality Management Areas. It is the fourth year running annual nitrogen dioxide results have not exceeded the annual mean air quality standard.

Mr King told the Mail: “Fewer cars on the road during national lockdowns are considered to have contributed to the improved air quality position, but the extent to which this improvement will be sustained is not yet known.

“Working in partnership with Leicestershire County Council, in 2017 Harborough District Council introduced an HGV gating system through the town which allows a greater free flow of lorries through Lutterworth by controlling the traffic light sequencing.

“There has also been increased use of electric vehicles. To support this, Harborough District Council has installed electric vehicle charging facilities in Station Road car park in the town and is looking for opportunities to increase the number of units.

“The Harborough Local Plan requires provision of a spine road as part of the Lutterworth East Strategic Development Area. The spine road is required to provide a clear legible route between the A426 north of Lutterworth and the A4304 east of M1 junction 20 and to include a bridge over the M1 with a link to the A426.

“It is required to be built before completion of 1,250 dwellings. Transport modelling undertaken to inform the Local Plan indicates provision of a spine road will not only serve the development, but will also remove some through-traffic currently travelling through the centre of Lutterworth in the long term.”