ROAD users could be charged to travel through some of Wales' most polluted areas, in a bid to improve air quality.

Clean Air Zones and Low Emission Zones would "bring about improvements in the environment and deliver better health for all," the Welsh Government claims in its new report, the Clean Air Plan, published today (Thursday).

The report sets out proposals to improve air quality in Wales over the next 10 years and deal with the health problems caused by air pollution.

The Welsh Government estimates air pollution cuts life expectancy equivalent to between 1,000 and 1,400 deaths each year in Wales.

MORE NEWS:

Environment minister Lesley Griffiths said: "The aims outlined in the plan are there to safeguard the most vulnerable, but improving our air quality nationwide will be to the benefit of everyone in Wales, and it’s something we should all want and strive for.

"But in order to achieve that, we have to take action now."

In the plan, the Welsh Government said it "expects" to see Clean Air Zones established in Welsh towns and cities "to reduce the impact of transport emissions on health".

Some of these zones could include a charge-paying system for drivers, the report adds. A government review of road-user charging is due to report back in the autumn.

The Clean Air Plan does not say which towns or cities would be subject to such Clean Air Zones, but maps included in the report show Newport is one of the worst-affected areas by microscopic pollutants in the air (fine particulate matter, or PMf).

Other air pollution hotspots in the Gwent region include the A472 in Hafodyrynys, which has earned the nickname "Wales' most polluted street"; and Chepstow – though levels there fell dramatically when the coronavirus lockdown began.

Under the Clean Air Plan, the Welsh Government aims to set up a new air pollution monitoring service before 2023, and to set a new target for national PMf levels.

A ban on sales of fuels like coal and wet wood, similar to legislation announced in England this year, could begin in 2021; and there are plans to convert refuse collection lorries to electric power.

Changes to planning policy will include requirements for new non-residential developments to include electric vehicle charging points in at least 10 per cent of the parking spaces available.

The Welsh Government will publish and consult on a white paper for a Clean Air Act for Wales before the end of the current Senedd term (May 2021).