THE remaining residents on the most polluted street in Wales will still be digesting the news that their homes could be demolished to meet air quality targets - community reporter Elizabeth Birt took a look at how knocking down houses could help reduce pollution.

Woodside Terrace in Hafod-yr-ynys, Caerphilly County Borough, has long held the unwanted tag of Wales' most polluted street.

Air pollution on the narrow A472 , which links Caerphilly and Torfaen, is the second highest in the UK, and many houses on the dusty street were boarded up long ago.

Yesterday, Caerphilly County Borough Council released a report in which they revealed they were recommending that 22 houses and a business be demolished on Woodside Terrace.

The recommendation marks a change of tack for the council, who had previously planned to adopt a "do nothing" approach - with hopes that emerging technologies would solve the air pollution problem on the street.

The report, which is set to be put forward to the council’s scrutiny committee next week, says that the demolition of the houses in Woodside Terrace will not reduce the nitrogen dioxide emissions and will only remove the public access to the road.

The council says this will bring about compliance to the Air Quality Direction.

It's the preferred plan of action of the Welsh Government and is predicted to bring compliance to the Air Quality Direction forward to 2022.

In a 217-page document submitted to the scrutiny committee, a summary of the plan’s expected outcomes said: “This option does not reduce emissions overall, though does remove the receptor and reduce NO2 concentrations along the study corridor therefore bringing forward compliance (to 2022) as per the objective.”

South Wales Argus:

( A table from the report showing the predicted NO2 concentration with the demolition in comparison to the original 'do minimum' approach)

The health benefits to the residents currently living on Woodside Terrace are also highlighted, saying that by relocating the residents, they will be removing their exposure to air pollution and “allowing greater dispersion of pollutants on the link, this scenario delivers improvements in air quality and associated health impacts.”

South Wales Argus:

(A table taken from the council's report showing the predicted air pollution compliances for all considered options)

The demolition of the houses is also said to be a "high-risk plan" due to the amount of work needing to be done prior to and during demolition.

Houses will have to be surveyed for asbestos, and removal of asbestos would be needed if the survey shows anything. Environmental and geotechnical surveys will also be needed before any work can be done.

Also included in the demolition plan is the realigning of the footpath.

The A472 at Hafodrynys is a vital part of the main cross valley link between Caerphilly and Torfaen.

If the council went with designating it as a clean air zone, it would be expected to have a detrimental effect on the economy and would move the traffic to other areas, likely to lead to a negative effect on the air quality in other valley locations, alongside putting more stress on the M4 congestion around the Brynglas tunnels.

This forms the main basis of why the council have now recommended to demolish the houses, rather than stick to the 'do-nothing' approach previously advocated.

If accepted, the proposal means residents living in the affected houses would have their properties bought at 150% of their valuation. the Welsh Government confirmed funding will be given to allow relocation to similar properties elsewhere in the borough.

Cllr Eluned Stenner, Cabinet member for the Environment and Public Protection said: “One of the major concerns of the residents was that the market valuation of their properties was significantly less than what they felt was a fair price to enable them to move home.

“We fully recognise that health and wellbeing is paramount, but we also did not want to see any of the residents facing financial difficulties as a result of the compulsory purchase process.

“We welcome these proposals and would like to thank the community for their co-operation and feedback in helping us reach this proposed way forward.”