THE elevated M60 is the busiest stretch of motorway in Manchester and third busiest in the country.

Since 1998, Trafford's annual traffic volume has increased at a rate beyond both Greater Manchester and the national level, causing more pollution with all the standing traffic that happens twice a day and all day at Christmas and sale-shopping times at the Trafford Centre.

Diesel is a known carcinogen (say the World Health Organisation). Diesel equipment critical to the plant’s operation will add significant pollution, not only at the plant, but on the roads. The children exposed to all this pollution is of great concern because their lungs and immune system are not fully developed.

Some of the local schools are all right on the edge of the motorway and would be near and downwind of BREP in an AQMA. 86 more schools are in the surrounding area. How can this be considered a suitable location for a polluting incinerator?

BREP is an incinerator with a midget chimney stack. In June 2012, in a meeting between six representatives of the Environment Agency and eight members of the Breathe Clean Air Group the EA said that ideally the chimney stack should be 60-100 metres high to disperse the pollution better (still gave BREP a permit). This short chimney of 44.23 metres is because of City Airport. The needs of the airport and the residents cannot be met and therefore this is an inappropriate site.

We already face an Air Quality Management Area weaving alongside and through our town which means we should be striving to improve our air quality. Is this being taken seriously? What steps are being taken to reduce the air pollution in this area?

Jo Burgess

Urmston