AIR quality in Northwich is set to go under the microscope – with diffusion tubes to be installed near some of the town's traffic hotspots.

Cheshire West and Chester Council currently monitors the level of harmful nitrous dioxide (NO2) particles in four air quality management areas, but none of these are in Northwich.

The council is currently consulting the public on its low emission strategy, which aims to improve air quality in CWAC's recognised trouble spots – which are currently in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Frodsham and Thornton le Moors.

But following the introduction of the gyratory, plus the additions of hundreds of homes across the town in recent years, harmful emissions in Northwich are set to go back under the microscope – with CWAC to report back on the findings.

Cllr Brian Jamieson, Northwich Town Council member for Leftwich, announced the move at a meeting on Monday, January 8, after he had met with Martin Doyle, from CWAC's

"There have been no readings in Northwich for the past three years about air quality. In that period of time the whole town's movement of traffic has changed," he said.

"My main concern is that we've got three schools in close proximity to a lot of standing traffic – Victoria Road, Church Walk and Charles Darwin.

"Most of the day, Chester Road in Castle is busy. In the morning and at nighttime it's gridlocked.

"It's the same on Chesterway. There is standing traffic on Chesterway, which there never used to be, because the traffic lights at the Seafarer mean you've got a backlog to the church."

Diffusion tubes are installed by borough councils within their designated air quality management areas to monitor the level of NO2, which is emitted from diesel engines.

NO2 levels were last read by CWAC in Chesterway, Chester Road and Manchester Road in 2013.

Cllr Jamieson suggested the new tubes should be located in Chesterway, Chester Road, Station Road and Greenbank.