A POLITICIAN has slammed Renfrewshire Council over their lack of action over Johnstone and Renfrew's 'dangerous' pollution levels.

Currently, only Paisley Town Centre is a designated Air Quality Management Area.

However, recent reports have highlighted particular problems in the Johnstone High Street area and Renfrew town centre areas.

Councillor Andy Doig, has called on four of the five Labour councillors who represent Johnstone to apologise for voting down SNP plans to start a new dialogue with businesses and community groups on a new traffic management scheme in the area.

The SNP’s Elected Member for Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, and Lochwinnoch Ward said: "I am not a member of the Environment Board but at the board meeting last week my wife, Cllr Audrey Doig, who is, moved an SNP amendment to an item about establishing a new Local Air Quality Management Area for Johnstone High Street, because the air quality there is officially below standard and it is very important that this is addressed in different ways.

"For example, one way is of course to introduce stricter environmental monitoring and I am sure this will now happen, but surely another way is to try and bring the air quality to an acceptable level by trying to increase the traffic flow in Johnstone High Street.

"This means that this ailing and failing Labour administration has to look at a traffic management scheme for Johnstone town centre."

At the full Council on June 25 last year, a Labour amendment was passed stating they would work with businesses and community groups in Johnstone town centre to resolve the traffic issues in the area.

In September 18, they called a meeting of all Johnstone councillors, the local community council and the Johnstone Business Consortium, who were meant to have a meeting in January 2016 but did not take place.

Cllr Doig added: "I think it is just unacceptable that air pollution levels have now risen to excessively high levels, due to Labour inaction on this issue.

"But what is even worse is the fact that Johnstone Labour’s feeble four, including two who claim to represent Johnstone town centre, voted down a very reasonable SNP amendment calling for options to be drafted on a traffic management scheme.

"They should apologise to the people of Johnstone for endangering their health."

Following the introduction of the Environment Act 1995, all local authorities have been required to undertake a regular review and assessment of air quality within their area and submit the findings to the Scottish Government.

Where these assessments confirm that an exceedance of a statutory air quality objective level exists, an Air Quality Management Area must be formally declared.

Councillor Eddie Devine, convener of Renfrewshire Council's Environment Policy Board, however has assured that there will be action taken and consultation with residents imminently.

He said: "The council takes air quality issues very seriously and this is reflected in the fact that we have now designated Johnstone town centre as an Air Quality Management Area.

"This means that we will be developing a detailed action plan to deal with air quality issues and consulting with local stakeholders, businesses and the public.

"This comprehensive approach will look at a range of factors, including reducing pollution caused by heavy service vehicles such as lorries and buses.

"Traffic management also has a role to play in improving air quality.

"The council has already prepared a number of proposals for Johnstone town centre which take into account feedback from the local community on the Town Centre Action Plan consultations which were carried out in 2015.

"We will be discussing these proposals with Johnstone Community Council and Johnstone Business Consortium soon and we hope to start implementing them later this year."