To be paranoid about potential home being so close to main road regarding air pollution?

[Hummusontoast]

Found a lovely house not far from our desired town. It has an ideal layout for us as a family including a downstairs bedroom/bathroom for elderly relative that is coming to live with us if all goes to plan. The only drawback I can see is that it is about 200 metres away from main road (a1 singe carriageway). I have a toddler so I am worried about her developing lungs although I am also prone to anxiety so perhaps I’m overthinking it. DH thinks I’m being a worry wart and that the nearby fields/woodlands (of which there are plenty) will cancel out pollution but I’m not sure it works like that?

I'd be worried about noise of traffic, and resale value too

200m is ok. 20m would be an issue!

we couldn’t hear road noise whilst viewing the house and I feel the owners have taken the road into account when selling as it’s a really good price for the size of house, etc. tbh we probably wouldn’t be able to afford this house if it wasn’t for the road but I am not prepared to risk our health.

I am just under 200m from dual A road with heavy traffic, there is a humm if wind goes certain way and no polution really. We moved from high pollution area and it's bliss with massive drop in respiratory issues.

It'll be fine.
Woodland will absorb much of the fumes and noise.

200 metres is quite a distance too.

There is nothing but a wall between our garden and the A27. Noise is annoying but definitely I have got used to it. Not thought about the effect of pollution 😳

Does that actually happen?

it is possible to find out the level of emissions in a particular postcode area. You could check for the property you are interested in. For example naei.beis.gov.uk/emissionsapp/ Worth having a google as I think there are others too, depending where the property is.

Also, woods and hedges etc can absorb pollution particulates etc but the amounts absorbed will depend on types of trees, whether they are between your property and the road, wind direction etc etc. Again, worth doing some reading up and applying the info to the particular road and property you are interested in.

Noise wouldn’t bother me but pollution & fumes definitely would. I want clean(ish!) air when I open my windows or go outside!

Inside the house you can choose to have air purifiers - some are better than others for road related pollution.

However, I do believe the house you’re looking at is within a proven higher risk area - the following quotes a study showing influence of 500m radius, but I don’t know what their definition of ‘bust road’ is, plus it’s a US study so don’t know the allowable pollutant levels in their exhausts

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2017/04/04/air-pollution-map-mean/amp/

*busy road

Particulate matter from roads dissipates swiftly within only a few meters, so no I wouldn't be worried about 200m at all.

We put a line of trees around our property for this very reason. It makes us private from the road, reduces pollution and noise, which works well. We are only 10ish m from the main road though, at 200m you don't have a problem, although a few trees lining your property, as long as they don't interfere with buildings or upset neighbours, is never a bad thing.

200 metres is not desperately close though. The house sounds ideal for you otherwise, I would be putting an offer in if it seems sound enough.

If the woodland is not between the house and the road, you could plant a hedge around the front garden as a minimum, allow it to grow reasonably tall (say two metres). That will actually help a lot to cut down road noise and pollution. It is absolutely true that trees absorb airborne pollutants, that's why London has so many London Plane trees!

Also at the moment there is a dearth of houses on the market so I would be moving quite sharpish on this one if it does suit you.