THE 'hidden killer' on Weymouth's congested streets has reared its head again - as residents are urged to have their say in a survey about traffic and air pollution.

Dorset Council is running a consultation on air quality- which applies to the entire county - although there is barely a mention of Weymouth.

Although it is about the whole of Dorset the consultation document mainly talks about the village of Chideock on the A35 in west Dorset. 

The fact Weymouth is only mentioned twice in the document was described as "shocking" by town councillor Luke Wakeling at a Weymouth Town Council meeting.

This is despite "dangerously" high pollution in some parts of Weymouth - particularly on Boot Hill and King Street.

"It's a hidden killer," Cllr Jon Orrell said. "We think of the London smogs of the 1960s - but we are getting 30,000 deaths per year in modern times due to microparticulate that get deep into your lungs - a lot of them coming from diesel vehicles. Within seconds of breathing them in they get deep within your coronary arteries - so it's not just causing asthma and respiratory deaths, it's (increased risk of) heart attacks and dementia."

Calls are also being renewed for Dorset Council to fix a broken pollution monitor on Boot Hill, to provide a true picture of the levels of toxic fumes residents are breathing in.

Cllr Orrell said he used air monitoring tubes on Boot Hill to carry out a survey and found that the levels of pollution are "far higher than are being officially reported" by Dorset Council.

"We shouldn't let Dorset Council get away with this - we need to keep their feet to the fire and get as much action on Weymouth as there is in Chideock.

"The current data does not reflect the true scale of the problem as it's from the year of Covid and lockdown when we were all confined to our homes and weren't driving out and about," Cllr Lucy Hamilton added.

"We know air pollution is an indicator of inequality - it affects some of our poorest communities."

But it is pointless monitoring pollution if nothing gets done about the problem, Cllr Tia Roos said.

"The reality is you have to be rich to buy an electric car," she added. "I'm not sure how in touch Dorset Council is with the cost - it is ten grand more than other types of cars."

Locals are being urged to have their say before the consultation ends on January 23.

"This is a priority for our children and our children's children - we are going to end up owing a debt to future generations - here's a chance to start putting it right," Cllr Lucy Hamilton said.

To take part in the survey click here 

To view the consultation document click here