PLANS to divert traffic around Wallingford to reduce pollution in the town centre have been revealed by South Oxfordshire District Council.

The draft plan focuses on encouraging through-traffic to bypass the town centre and persuading people to walk and cycle into the town centre.

The council is calling on Wallingford residents, businesses and organisations to have their say on the plans.

The level of traffic fumes in the High Street is above European Union guidelines and the council has been told it needs to fall by 2015.

As a result, it is investigating ways of re-routing through traffic away from High Street.

In the summer, 17 pairs of speed humps were installed between Wantage Road and The Street, Crowmarsh Gifford, to slow vehicles down and make the bypass route more appealing.

Simon Hill, air quality officer at SODC, said: “The crux of the problem is that Wallingford is a historic market town with narrow streets and it creates a canyon effect, trapping the car fumes. It is nowhere near as bad as central London, but we have to take steps to reduce it, primarily because of the long-term effects for the residents who live there.”

He added: “If people are not stopping, do they really need to go through Wallingford?”

The council has been monitoring the problem for 12 years because high levels of the irritant gas, nitrogen dioxide, can worsen respiratory diseases such as asthma.

Chairman of Wallingford Business Partnership, Elaine Hornsby, said: “If you can discourage commuters from driving through it would be a great help.

“But I do not know what you can do. It is a medieval town and the streets are narrow — so far, there has been no effective way of diverting traffic around the town.”

Amanda Griffin, of Sustainable Wallingford, an environmental lobby group, said: “It should be about changing the psychology of the town and making it a pedestrian- and cycle-friendly place. It is people space, rather than car space.

“If you happen to be walking where it is fumey it is really unpleasant — it gets in your eyes and it is a horrible smell.”

But Dawn Gigg, owner of The Glorious Bake Shop in High Street, fears the plan could take business away.

She said: “When people are stuck at the lights they notice what is in Wallingford and if that is taken away they will not have a feel for the town. It could make it pretty dead.”

Town clerk Andrew Rogers said: “The town council would have to look at proposals to restrict traffic very carefully because of the businesses in the town. We must do everything we possibly can do to support them.” Dorothy Brown, cabinet member for health and housing at SODC, said: “It is vital we get local people involved as they know the area best and can tell us if our actions need revising to work in the town. Making sure we get the plan right is vital to reducing pollution and protecting the beautiful market town.”

To see the plans and complete a questionnaire visit the council’s website at: www.southoxon.gov.uk/haveyoursay The consultation on the draft Wallingford Air Quality Action Plan opened on Monday and runs until Monday, December 27, with the final plan due to be published in early 2011.

Council staff will be available to talk about the plan on Saturday in the Market Place from 10am to 4pm.