A PETITION has forced district councillors to reconsider the possible closure of Wallingford Bridge as a way of improving air quality.

South Oxfordshire District Council has put forward a low emissions strategy, including the option of preventing some traffic from using Wallingford Bridge, in a bid to improve air quality on the bridge and around the Lamb crossroads.

Now Diane Wyatt has launched the petition on change.org opposing the closure and it has been signed by 1,666 residents, forcing SODC councillors to debate the issue when the local authority meets tomorrow.

Ms Wyatt's petition said: "We believe that closing Wallingford Bridge to traffic would cause irreparable damage to businesses in the town and lead to increased rather than reduced atmospheric pollution.

"A solution which leads to more vehicle miles (as travellers access the town through Winterbrook or down Wantage Road) and to increased idling time because of the congestion on both those roads (both of which are effectively single-carriageway for much of their length due to residential parking) is unlikely to reduce emissions, merely to displace them.

"We ask SODC councillors not to proceed with this scheme but to investigate alternatives such as a one-way system, which would reduce vehicle idling times everywhere in the town."

A report to SODC by consultants Ricardo Energy and Environment said air pollution levels in Wallingford were 25 per cent above EU air quality limit values.

The report, which said access to the bridge could be banned at certain times of day to all traffic except buses, electric cars, or hybrid cars, is now before SODC.

The section of the town near the bridge, around High Street, St Mary’s Street and Castle Street, was labelled an air quality management area in 2005.

Traffic is often forced to wait to cross the single-lane bridge, controlled by traffic lights.

Last year Sustainable Wallingford spokeswoman Sue Roberts said consultation on air quality issues had gone on for too long and called for the bridge closure to be trialled.

Tony Harbour, SODC cabinet member for environmental health, said last year the trial could involve the bridge being closed from 8am to 10am and from 3pm to 6pm.

Now the controversial proposal will be discussed by councillors at a meeting at 6pm at Howbery Park tomorrow after the petition is presented.

Wallingford county councillor Lynda Atkins said: "If you close the bridge then vehicle emissions will increase overall because drivers will have to travel further to get where they want to go.

"Alternatives should be considered and this is a good opportunity for the district council to rule out trialling the bridge closure, which would be bad for families and businesses."

The outcome of tomorrow's meeting will be referred to the authority's general licensing committee as the body responsible for the consultation on the low emissions strategy.

The bridge would not be closed until a final decision is made at a later date.

Mr Harbour has not yet commented.