WINCHESTER’S former transport chief has been accused of getting his facts badly wrong.

In two Winchester City Council meetings, Cllr James Byrnes has been urged to clarify remarks he made on the BBC about air quality in Oxford.

Cllr Byrnes no longer has the role after new leader Caroline Horrill replaced him with Jan Warwick. 

However the controversy started when, Cllr Byrnes said that pollution had worsened in Oxford since pedestrianisation was introduced.

However residents have openly accused him of using false information, and have called on Cllr Byrnes to explain his sources.

Retired architect Kate Macintosh said at the cabinet parking and at the Cabinet (Traffic and Parking) Committee that Cllr Byrnes should make a public retraction.

She said: “He stated that subsequent to Oxford’s strategy for the constraint of vehicular traffic in the city centre, pollution levels had increased.

"This is simply untrue. The nitrogen dioxide levels in central Oxford have typically dropped by 35 per cent in 10 years. Where did this false info come from?

“A public retraction is called for if the integrity of positions of public responsibility is to be restored.”

However Cllr Byrnes said he won’t make a retraction, when he responded to Ms Macintosh.

Liberal Democrat councillor Dominic Hiscock has also called for him to clarify his remarks.

Responding, Cllr Byrnes said: “I did make reference to Oxford in comments I made recently regarding air quality issues but in relation to pedestrianisation rather than park and ride. Data pertaining to air quality in Oxford is available on their website.

“Some of these documents reference the fact that despite taking action to tackle air quality Oxford continues to suffer from a higher number (and severity) of 'hot spots' compared to Winchester and in many areas report levels of NOx which are above the legal limit.

“Since they embarked on a programme of pedestrianisation they report a decrease in CO2 levels by about one third.

“However given pedestrianisation is arguably one of the most substantial measures available, which can have a range of implications, the fact that it has resulted in lowering levels by only one third means that a pollution problem remains.

“To this end therefore pedestrianisation has not succeeded in resolving the air quality issue in Oxford."