Most Dorset residents say not enough if being done to improve air quality in the county – although many accept that they are partially to blame.

A Dorset Council consultation found that over 70 per cent when asked about their local area, said they were either concerned or very concerned.

Over 80 per cent thought traffic was the main source of pollution, followed by farming (6.8 per cent) and industry (4.8 per cent).

When asked about their own contribution to pollution just under 45 per cent thought it was from their energy use, and just over 35 per cent attributed it to their travel choices.

Solutions suggested by the 171 who responded to the consultation said walking more, using lower emission vehicles, cycling and using the bus although around 20 per cent said they would not consider using any of the alternatives.

Around 80 per cent of respondents said they used mains gas and of these, most used it as their predominant fuel for heating/hot water production. The next highest fuels used were electricity, oil and wood.

Around 30 per cent of the respondents said they had a wood burning/multi-fuel stove or were intending to get one. Just over half said what they had was a Defra-approved model with lower emissions.

Around half of all respondents were aware there was an existing air quality issue in Chideock, where an Air Quality Management Area has been declared, although no solutions yet found.

Several of those who took the survey made mention of other areas including Portland and Boot Hill in Weymouth.

Concerns were also raised over issues such as the proposed Portland waste to energy plant and the domestic use of solid fuel stoves; others raised the lack of public transport which some claimed had declined in recent years.

Measures being considered by Dorset Council in the coming years include further promoting public transport, encouraging alternatively fuelled vehicles including taxis, buses and lorries for freight, planning measures to minimise emissions and controlling emissions from homes – although a council report concedes that with more people switching to open fires and wood-burners as well as biomass boilers this may be problematic.

"This increase in burning solid fuels in our homes is having an impact on our air quality and now makes up the single largest contributor to UK wide Particulate Matter emissions," said a council report.

The same report also concludes that it is lower income homes likely to suffer the most: "Although air pollution can be harmful to everyone, people who live in more polluted areas are more affected. This tends to include low-income communities as they are more likely to live in areas with poorer air quality due to lower value properties often being in more congested areas. They are also more likely to fit other criteria which indicate poorer health in general, making them more susceptible."