Sir – The final episode of BBC’s TV topical science programme Bang Goes the Theory dealt with the huge problem Britain is still facing with air pollution.

It stated that: ‘air pollution is now second only to smoking as a killer in the UK, yet as a nation we are failing to meet targets on reducing emissions’.

So where are these pollutants coming from? Apart from vehicles; one other major source is from commercial and civil aircraft. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists these pollutants produced by aircraft and their risks to health as follows:

1: Volatile organic compounds (VOC), which cause eye and respiratory tract irritation,

2: Oxides of nitrogen (NOX), which causes lung irritation

3: Ozone (O3) which causes lung structure damage.

4: Carbon monoxide (CO) which causes cardiovascular effects.

5: Particulate matter (PM10 & PM2.5), which causes premature mortality and cardiovascular disease.

So what is our local authority, West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) doing to address this problem at the local level?

On their website under environmental protection concerning air quality in Oxfordshire, they list a similar group of air pollutants that are of a major concern to them.

This is very reassuring. So it would appear that they would not want to propose having any new large housing developments located anywhere near to Brize Norton air base for example? Unfortunately, that is not the case, for in their current Plan for West Oxfordshire, they have proposed building 700-plus new homes and a school in East Carterton right next to the air base and just 500 metres from the aircraft servicing platform.

So the theory that WODC’s environmental protection initiative is complying with the Government’s Air Quality Strategy is mistaken, when, in fact, it appears to be in gross contradiction to it. So bang goes that theory.

Philip Butcher, Brize Norton