Pollution study questioned
Officials who helped draw up a report claiming Oxford was suffering from severe pollution problems have admitted some of their findings were "misleading".
The report, entitled 'A Breath of Fresh Air', was published in 2003 by the Oxford Mail and has been described as containing "misconceptions and misplaced emphasis".
Tests conducted in the city centre in 2003 showed the annual average level of nitrogen dioxide, which is found in exhaust emissions and known to contribute to respiratory problems, was 37 parts per billion (ppb). The national target is 21ppb.
Last year a Calor survey revealed spending a day breathing air in Oxford's city centre was the equivalent of smoking 61 cigarettes.
Councillors now maintain the city does not have a major air pollution problem.
The County Council's executive member for transport David Robertson, severely criticised the Oxford Mail for publishing its story and said: "Oxford does not have a major air pollution problem - though there are pockets at certain times that need to be addressed."
There are concerns that the contradictory claims are undermining public faith in the county council.
County councillor Terry Joslin called for the authorities to enlist the help of independent environmentalists to reveal the true picture.
Such a project would cost thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money.
Joslin said: "The public are confused and rightly so. They are also scared. I want somebody who can be trusted to say what the situation really is."
Some action has already been taken to try and rectify the situation. "Bus companies have spent millions of pounds kitting out their vehicles with anti-pollution systems", said Joslin, who claims that Oxford is probably cleaner than most other cities.
A joint review group came up with 15 recommendations to slash air pollution.
All were endorsed by the city council but colleagues at County Hall refused to accept some of the recommendations, including targets to equip a percentage of their vehicle fleet with so-called green technology.
County Councillor John Power remarked: "Everybody says there is a problem but the architect of the Oxford Transport Strategy says the city centre is as white as the driven snow and the only people who say there is a problem is the Oxford Mail."
"The public must be confused and it's costing them a lot of their money for people to take measurements that are then ignored by councillors."
20th Jan 2005