COUNTY council chiefs have dismissed implementing a congestion charge-style solution to part of Basingstoke to combat air pollution - but a lower speed limit could be introduced.

A short section of the A339 Ringway North in Basingstoke is among the areas identified by Hampshire County Council to be targeted for improvements by local authorities.

Reducing speed limits on these roads is one of the options being considered, as well as commercial charging zones – despite Councillor Seán Woodward claiming “they’re not going to happen”.

Speaking at the council’s cabinet meeting, Cllr Woodward hit out at central government for its handling of the issue.

“The goalposts keep moving,” he said.

“The target was 2021, then it was 2020, now it’s 2019. So what can physically be done to deal with these issues is very limited. There aren’t many initiatives that the county council can get in place to respond to the ministerial directives that have been placed on the district councils, and I think that is going to be a very real challenge to be able to meet that [target].

“There have been [calls for] various things [to happen], like congestion charging zones. We don’t want to do them, they’re not going to happen anyway, but we still had to alarm all of our residents and all of our businesses by having them in a consultation document.

“We’re now going to have to move very, very quickly.”

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council cabinet member for regulatory services and the environment Cllr Hayley Eachus said: “Air quality in Basingstoke is relatively good and there are no areas in the borough that exceed national air quality standards.

“We recognise that this is a very important issue and we’re taking action to reduce emissions and to raise awareness among residents.

“DEFRA recently instructed Hampshire County Council and the borough council to evaluate the impact of reducing the speed limit along a very short section of the A339, between Black Dam Roundabout and the Chineham turn off, to reduce emissions from vehicles travelling along that road. We are working closely with Hampshire County Council who, as the highway authority is responsible for this road, to evaluate this option.”

Stuart Jarvis, county council director of transport, said: “The government has issued four directives in relation to Hampshire areas under current air quality legislation, which requires a response in the ‘shortest time possible’.

“The directives are relatively prescriptive. Authorities must consider what measures should be brought into effect to mitigate NO2. The council must demonstrate that measures must improve air quality more quickly than imposing a charging zone.”

He added: “It’s good to point out, however, that in general Hampshire districts have very good air quality and the exceeding zones that have been identified are all only marginally over the limit.

“That is not to be complacent in tackling air quality in these areas, but to make the point that we’re only marginally above the level.”

Further discussion will now between the county council and district authorities on how best to tackle the individual issues.

Civic chiefs also added that a new, long-term air quality strategy will be put together to help lower levels in the county.