Nottingham City Council has opened a consultation on its plans to lower air pollution in line with legal limits.

Citywide measures already under way mean a clean air zone is no longer being considered in Nottingham

The city was one of five – also including Birmingham, Derby, Leeds and Southampton – that were identified under the Government’s 2015 air quality plan as requiring action.

As announced a month ago, the council is no longer looking at a clean air zone per se as it says current work will achieve the reductions needed in two years’ time. Council projects include retrofitting 180 buses with clean exhaust technology, requiring every taxi and private hire vehicle in the city to be low emission, and the council replacing its own heavy vehicles – such as bin lorries – with electric or other low emission vehicles.

The latest modelling, subject to final approval from the Secretary of State for the Environment, shows these schemes will ensure the council meets its target of lowering Nitrogen Dioxide emissions to less than a maximum annual average of 40μg/m3 in the shortest possible time. In Nottingham’s case this will be in 2019.

Further measures include amending the city’s two Air Quality Management Areas to cover the whole city, which would mean the council could take action against engine idling, and extending the city centre Clear Zone to include minimum emissions criteria for delivery lorries, taxis and other vehicles.

Councillor Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Energy and Environment, said: “The City Council has a strong track record in improving air quality, having made significant investment to improve public transport, including the tram network, and electric and gas-powered bus fleets, supported by the Workplace Parking Levy.

“That said, we don’t want to rest on our laurels, and there is more we can do. Further proposals are included in the consultation, and I’d encourage anyone with an interest to take part.”

The consultation will run until Monday 10 September. Responses will help shape the council’s final Local Plan to Improve Air Quality in Nottingham, due to be submitted to Defra in September.

Find out more about the proposals and take part in the consultation here.