Worcester City Council has set out a plan to improve air quality over the next five years.

A review in 2018 showed that the air quality over the majority of Worcester is generally good there are increased levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in select areas.

That is primarily due to road traffic, and as a result the council will implement measures to reduce emissions, improve public health, increase sustainable transport options, and plan for future development.

The Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) was crafted by the council with help from representatives from Worcestershire County Council, Public Health, the NHS, and the University of Worcester.

The comprehensive plan includes introducing more electric vehicle charging points, improving infrastructure for cyclists and walkers, discouraging heavy goods vehicles from the city centre, working with schools and communities, upgrading public transport fleets, and implementing a city-wide public bike hire and share scheme.

The corporate director of operations, homes & communities at Worcester City Council, Lloyd Griffiths said: "This is an important document that maps out how we propose to make the air in Worcester cleaner.

"Working together with our partners we want to improve the air quality for everybody."

A report on the plan will go before the city council’s Licensing and Environmental Health Committee on Wednesday, May 22.

After this, councillors on the Environment Committee will be asked to approve the AQAP for public consultation at a meeting on Thursday, June 6.

If approved, the draft AQAP will go out to statutory and public consultation for a period of three months, enabling residents to voice their thoughts.

A final report, enhanced by public input, will be published and submitted to the government by the end of 2024.