THE first of a series of structures is being installed in Hereford today (June 15) in a bid to make the city cleaner.

A new, natural way of helping to tackle air pollution has come to Hereford – the first of three moss filters is being put up in the city this morning.

Moss has the natural ability to absorb and metabolise fine dust and particles, helping to naturally clean the air we breathe, Herefordshire Council said.

Also known as "city trees", the moss filters each take up about the same amount of space as one tree, the council said, but due to the enormous surface area of moss the moss filter is more efficient at filtering and cooling the air around it.

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The filters will be in busy traffic areas in the city where they will use specially selected mosses to help naturally absorb pollution from the air, and the first is being installed in Eign Gate.

They have been funded jointly by the council and Marches Local Enterprise Parntership as part of the ongoing £6m Hereford city centre improvement project.

This is enhancing the city centre environment thanks to investment to encourage people to spend more time in the city when they visit, helping to boost the local economy.

Moss mats clean about 80 per cent of fine dust and particles from the air and using ventilation technology filters breathing air for up to 7,000 people per hour, the council said.

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It said the moss filters contain integrated smart sensors which provide performance and condition information, so the impact on the local air quality will be available for all to see on the council's website.

Councillor John Harrington, cabinet member infrastructure and transport, said he is pleased how this innovative technology will bring us towards a cleaner area in the city.

"We are working hard in a number of ways to reduce emissions from vehicles in our beautiful, historic city with the aim of cleaner, healthier air for visitors but that takes time," he said.