Key players across Bucks joined forces this month to discuss how air quality of badly polluted areas in the county will be tackled.

Last year traffic blackspots in High Wycombe and Marlow were flagged as areas that needed urgent attention – after it was revealed air pollution levels in some traffic blackspots are more than 70 per cent above the national target.

The county and district councils rallied together 50 representatives, including people working in environmental, transport and health roles, to talk about the county’s air quality at a conference on May 10.

BCC’s cabinet member for community engagement, Noel Brown, said: “I cannot overstate how serious the health impacts of poor air quality are.

“234 deaths in Buckinghamshire in 2016 were directly attributed to poor air quality. If we had that many deaths on our roads we’d be needing to make significant changes and the same applies for air quality.

“There is no safe level of pollution to breathe in. We want to get these emissions down as low as possible to protect our residents’ health. We can only do this by changing the way we move around and by individuals making changes in their own habits.”

The meeting was briefed on the causes of poor air quality, how it impacts people’s health and what can be done to improve pollution levels in Bucks.

A staggering one in 20 deaths a year in Bucks are directly caused by poor air quality, according to BCC.

There are currently nine areas in Bucks which are flagged as needing urgent attention to reduce the pollution levels, known as air quality management areas.

The event aimed to identify “good practices” across the county in a bid to improve air quality, as well as begin discussions on how representatives across the county can work together to reduce pollution.

South Bucks District Council's cabinet member for environment, Luisa Sullivan, and Chiltern District Council's cabinet member for environment, Michael Smith, added: "We all want to live in a cleaner, healthier environment and we all have to take responsibility for it. Together, with our local authority colleagues and with the public, we will need to work hard to reduce air pollution.

"Residents can only make greener choices if they are available to them. As well as monitoring the quality of air in our areas, we will be ensuring everyone has the opportunities they need to make healthier choices in their day to day lives."