HALTON residents have been reassured that the air they breathe is better quality than most large cities.

Public Health England and Halton Council have issued a joint statement following concern expressed by some residents.

Their comments come as an action group worried about pollution plans to present a petition to Halton Council next week calling for more air monitoring.

Eileen O’Meara, Halton’s director of public health and public protection and Dr Alex Stewart, consultant in public health for Public Health England said: “Air quality is currently a topic of public interest and concern to some Halton residents.

“This is a complex science, which is not easy to understand, but air quality monitoring indicates that air in Halton is similar to that in neighboring authorities and better than most large cities.

“Residents of Halton have experienced a significant improvement in air quality from the days when the chemical industry was at its height in Widnes and Runcorn.

“DEFRA, the Government Department responsible for air monitoring, have confirmed that Halton meets its legal obligations in this respect.

“Halton Council continuously monitors air quality in the borough- this is a legal requirement under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 Local Air Quality Management.

“The Council has done this through a variety of air monitors, including diffusion tubes and continuous recording, for many years.”

The findings of the council’s annual air monitoring are published each year.

For further information, visit the council’s website at 4.halton.gov.uk/Pages/planning/air-quality.aspx.