It’s important to know what the air quality is like in your prospective new neighbourhood when choosing where to live.
We’ve looked at the latest data available to show the local roads around Bedfordshire with the worst recorded air pollution.
Three spots breached the UK limit for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) of 40 µg/m3 and many more were at least three times the World Health Organisation’s lower guideline for clean air of 10 µg/m3 of NO2.
The figures are taken from the 2024 Air Quality Annual Status Reports published by Central Bedfordshire Council, Luton Borough Council and Bedford Borough Council, all of which contain data for 2023.
The Bedfordshire locations with the highest air pollution are listed below in reverse order, with the worst last.
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9. Hitchin Road - 35.2 µg/m3 NO2
Hitchin Road, Luton, is the sixth most polluted spot in Bedfordshire, according to the latest air quality data, with a 35.2 µg/m3 annual mean concentration of NO2 for 2023, which is more than three times the WHO's recommended limit | Google Photo: Google
10. High Street - 36.1 µg/m3
High Street, Bedford, at the junction with Luddington's Passage, is the fifth most polluted spot in Bedfordshire, according to the latest air quality data, with a 36.1 µg/m3 annual mean concentration of NO2 for 2023, which is more than three times the WHO's recommended limit | Google Photo: Google
11. St Peter's Street - 39.0 µg/m3 NO2
St Peter's Street, Bedford, outside John Bull, is the fourth most polluted spot in Bedfordshire, according to the latest air quality data, with a 39.0 µg/m3 annual mean concentration of NO2 for 2023, which is nearly four times the WHO's recommended limit and just below the UK limit of 40 µg/m3 | Google Photo: Google
12. London Luton Airport - 40.5 µg/m3 NO2
London Luton Airport is the third most polluted spot in Bedfordshire, according to the latest air quality data. The drop-off zone there had a 40.5 µg/m3 annual mean concentration of NO2 for 2023, which is more than four times the WHO's recommended limit and above the UK limit of 40 µg/m3. Four other sites at the airport had a reading of more than 30 µg/m3. | Google Photo: Google