HIGHWAYS England says it will look to lower emissions produced from two major roads that border Southampton, as the city bids to clean up its air.

It comes after the Radio Drivers Association criticised the national authority for its “lack of action” on tackling pollution on the M27 and M271.

The group said that the two major roads, which border the city, will continue to pump massive amounts of dirty air into the city counteracting any clean air zone implemented by Southampton City Council.

Nevertheless, the body has now said that its smart motorway scheme – with work on the M27 due to start later this year – will improve the flow of traffic, which “could have a positive effect on air quality as a result”.

Highways England added: “One of Highways England’s key challenges in delivering our road improvements is the need to accommodate the additional movements of traffic without significantly detriment to air quality.

“We believe no-one should be harmed as a result of emissions from vehicles on our roads and we are committed to improving air quality alongside the roads we manage.

“The M27 Smart Motorway scheme will go in to construction later in the year. This will improve the flow of traffic along the M27, which could have a positive effect on air quality as a result.

“As part of the scheme, we are using ring-fenced funding to enable us to understand the challenges facing us and develop ways to mitigate any potential air quality issues on the M27 scheme.”

The pledge comes as the city council proposes to introduce a city-wide clean air zone, which could charge certain commercial vehicles up to £100-a-day to enter.

The authority has been tasked by central government to reduce its nitrogen dioxide amount to the EU-imposed level of below 40 micrograms per cubic air metre by 2022. It is currently 42 micrograms.

However, firms have warned it may be unsustainable for them to operate in the city if a charge is brought in.

The 12-week consultation period for the scheme ended last week, with results expected to be released in the coming weeks.