DISTRICT councils must be encouraged to reduce fuel emissions, according to a county councillor.

John Sanders will urge Oxfordshire County Council – which has already agreed measures with Oxford City Council to stop petrol and diesel cars using Oxford city centre by 2035 – to implement similar measures in Oxfordshire's four other districts.

He will also ask his fellow county councillors to support the creation of an inter-council Air Pollution Action group to take advantage of a Government announcement that all production of petrol and diesel-powered cars will be banned by 2040.

At a full council meeting at County Hall, Mr Sanders will say: “This Council welcomes in principle the Government’s announcement that it intends to ban the production of diesel and petrol-driven cars by the year 2040 in order to reduce the effects of air pollution on public health. Recognising that, in the meanwhile, it is incumbent on all councils to play their part in reducing air pollution.

"This Council instructs the Cabinet to co-operate with all Oxfordshire’s district councils urgently to identify measures that will reduce such pollution. In particular, Council calls on Cabinet to propose a councillor-led inter-council Air Pollution Action Group to produce plans for zero-emission or low-emission zones in AQMAs (Air Quality Management Areas) and to restrict the access of polluting traffic in such areas.”

The four other district councils which Mr Sanders urges are contacted for further work are: Cherwell, Vale of White Horse, South Oxfordshire and West Oxfordshire councils.

The meeting will be held from 10.30am.