Chideock Parish Council is calling on Highways England and Dorset Council to realise the main reason for high pollution levels in the village is due to congestion and won't be achieved by making the trial 30mph limit permanent.

Highways England recently announced that the 30mph limit on Chideock Hill to the west of the village would be here to stay after an 18-month trial "identified a small reduction in nitrogen dioxide (N02) levels".

But the parish council claim that in order for air pollution levels to fall below England's current legal limits, traffic needs to be reduced by at least 69 per cent.

A spokesman said: "A 30mph limit throughout Chideock supports villagers actually being able to attempt to cross the road - although with only one safe pedestrian crossing point, this is often a lengthy, dangerous and difficult process to achieve. Also, villagers whose houses are on Chideock Hill have experienced some noise reduction.

"However, Highways England has stated that the pilot has identified a small reduction in nitrogen dioxide levels following the reduction in speed limit and it is on that basis that the limit will be reduced permanently.

"Chideock Parish Council considered that it would be stretching the facts to say that there is evidence that the trial has led to a reduction of N02, especially given that there has been virtually no continual speed enforcement throughout the last 18 months and traffic, due to the pandemic lockdowns, has been reduced significantly by up to 69 per cent."

The parish council was made aware of the changes after reading it in the press and has not seen evidence of the impact the speed limit reduction has made.

The spokesman added: "Chideock Parish Council wants to see the Government, through DEFRA, take seriously the already known facts about the levels of pollution in Chideock and calls on West Dorset's MP Chris Loder to come and visit our village on a busy Friday/weekend and to experience in full the impact such high levels of congestion and pollution ha son the ordinary citizens of this village; the inability for people to walk down the road safely; to cross the road safely; to not breathe air that is high in pollutants of all types.

"We need the Government to direct something is done now."

Dorset Council and Highways England have been contacted for comment.

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