MONMOUTHSHIRE County Council (MCC) potentially face a hefty fine due to the poor air quality on Chepstow's Hardwick Hill.

The site, which was declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in 2006, continues to contain excess amounts of nitrogen dioxide, exceeding the European air quality standards.

Located on the A48 between the roundabout and the junction at Hardwick Terrace, the site receives an estimated traffic flow of 24,500 vehicles per day, five per cent of which are Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) or buses.

To bring nitrogen dioxide levels down it is estimated that more than 10 per cent of traffic will have to be cut down through the area.

The importance of air pollution is evident in the estimation that some specific types reduce life expectancy in the UK by around six months, worth £16 billion every year.

The main challenge is in meeting nitrogen dioxide limits alongside roads in cities and towns.

As all administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for their own air quality policy and legislation, any fines will be directed straight to them, which in turn are directed to the local authorities.

The pollution looks to be exasperated in the imminent future if the Monmouthshire Local Development Plan (LDP) goes ahead.

Around 300 new houses for Fairfield Mabey in Chepstow will directly impact the area, upping the traffic flow considerably and contributing to the air pollution.

Momonouthshire county councillor Armand Watts said: "My concern is that the site (Fairfield Mabey) doesn't have a strong enough infrastructure... the air quality will continue to poison people."

The possibility of an A48 bypass has been investigated by the council for a number of years but continues to remain not economically viable.

A proposed new 'hamburger' roundabout is thought by the council to be a possible aid to reduce traffic emissions in the area once the new houses have been built, possibly within the next three years.

The roundabout will take up a large amount of Chepstow's Nelson Street car park and with the implementation of traffic lights is thought to direct traffic more smoothly and reduce congestion so that the emissions aren't built up.

Yet this solution isn't all plain sailing either.

"The loss of potentially one third of the Nelson Street car park will be a huge loss to the community," Cllr Watts said.

"The historical church is a great tourist attraction as well as a community mainstay. Removing parking may impact visitors to the town, which in turn affects town regeneration."

The pollution on the A48 is in part blamed on the HGVs travelling through to avoid the Severn Bridge tolls, as well as a significant increase in development in areas such as Lydney, where commuters are travelling to Bristol and Cardiff.

Cllr Watts believes the solution lies here.

"The long term solution to the air quality on the A48 lies in the nationalisation of the Severn Bridge," he said.

"Not only will this reduce traffic flow through the area but it will also have a potentially huge economic benefit to the region. As it will be cheaper to go over the bridge, more people will come to Wales."