A FRESH bid to ban lorries from using roads around Eastleigh town centre is being championed by town councillors.

The move comes after the Daily Echo reported how two of Eastleigh's major approach roads have failed Whitehall standards for air quality.

Sections of Leigh Road and Southampton Road are exceeding standards set for nitrogen dioxide and legislation means that the borough council has to set up air quality management areas to improve the situation.

It's clear to leading councillors that a long-term solution to the problem such as the building of a southern bypass and improving traffic flow at junctions lies in hands of other authorities.

Councillor Chris Thomas told members: "I am going to go back to my lorry ban in the rush hours - that will produce a five per cent reduction in pollution. It is not something that is simple, but it is possible."

Earlier this year Cllr Thomas called for an investigation into banning lorries delivering to town centre stores from 8am to 10am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

He argued that stationary or slow-moving diesel lorries released significantly higher amounts of pollutants because they were running inefficiently.

The controversial move - which came under fire from local haulage company boss Derek Miller, who claimed it could seriously damage the lifeblood of the town and drive many haulage companies out of business - was never progressed.

Attacking the government, Councillor Louise Bloom said: "There are clearly other areas in the country that are worse than Eastleigh.

"I would be interested in what the government is going to do about Earls Court and the Great West Road.

"It is all very well the government giving us all these things to do but we are not getting the money to do it."

Environmental health chief Paul Ruta said: "In reality, the reduction measures that the council can put in place are very limited.

"We are in the hands of the county council and the Highways Agency as far as traffic control goes."

But he told councillors Eastleigh had to declare an air management area along the two roads in a bid to tackle the pollution problem.