PLANS to encourage greater use of public transport in Bracknell Forest have been set back by restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Environment bosses at Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) published an air quality report in June 2020 which sets out how the authority has tackled air pollution in the last year and how it will address the issue going forward in June 2020.

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One key priority for the year ahead was to promote greater bus use, but work to achieve this has now been halted by covid-19.

The report read: “This coming year we planned to carry out surveys and data gathering to help shape a more efficient network of bus services in future.

“This work was to be supplemented with an increase in marketing efforts to promote greater bus use.

“However, the coronavirus pandemic and associated guidelines for social distancing on public transport have resulted in a significant downturn in bus use rendering the survey unworkable for now and the foreseeable future.”

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Aside from this mention of coronavirus, the pandemic is mentioned only once more in a document spanning 68 pages.

Yet the document, which is 68 pages long, only mentions ‘coronavirus’, ‘COVID-19’ or ‘pandemic’ twice.

The second mention is in regard to key actions taken in the past year to address air quality, including the A3095 improvement works and how they might be affected by the virus.

No other mention of the pandemic is made, including what effect it has had on air pollution during lockdown or how greater working from home has impacted pollution.

Bracknell Forest has two areas which have made “significant” contributions to poor air quality over recent years.

The A322 and the B3348 through Crowthorne show high levels of nitrogen dioxide — a pollutant which can lead to heart and lung conditions — and have therefore been declared as air quality management areas.

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Every year the council produces an air quality status report.

In its assessment, BFC notes it needs to reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions by making journey improvements in the two air quality management areas.

Measures to achieve this include reducing traffic congestion, improve transport networks, and secure more transport infrastructure.

Environment bosses were praised by a top government department for their report into how air quality is being addressed in Bracknell Forest.

Borough chiefs submitted their annual air quality report in June 2020 a response came from the department for environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA) one month later.

DEFRA described Bracknell Forest Council’s Air Quality Annual Status Report as “robust and accurate.”

Air quality across Bracknell Forest was discussed at a meeting of the Public Protection Partnership on Monday, September 28.