SCHEMES to tackle traffic pollution are to be brought by the council within the next few years and it has applied to the London mayor for funding to make them as effective as possible.

The town hall hopes to encourage more walking, cycling and public transport use and drive down congestion with seven sets of works across the borough.

It has applied for £400,000 from Boris Johnson to either make them bigger or fund them entirely.

The first is a study of traffic movement and pollution across the borough to help identify new and better ways of tackling it. Part of this is under way now but it would be boosted by the extra cash.

The next will see repaving for walkers and cyclists along the A40 with the mayor's money paying for the planting of trees and other vegetation to create a green screen between pedestrians and motorists and help absorb pollution.

The traffic lights at the junction of Horn Lane and Acton High Street is to be replaced with a mini-roundabout to cut the amount of drivers needing to stop and then drive on, burning more fuel.

The same will happen at the lights at Church Road and at the clock tower in Hanwell with the extra funding at all three sites paying for tree planting.

Signs will be installed at three level crossings in Acton, in Churchfield Road and two in Bollo Lane. They will remind drivers to switch off their engines while waiting for trains to pass and all need the money from the mayor to go ahead.

The mayor's money will pay for tree planting to go alongside the work to improve Southall Broadway, which includes repaving.

As well as at Ealing Broadway station when the work to open up the forecourt, introduce better information about bus arrival times and other improvements are brought in.

The council is expecting to find out if it will get the funding by the middle of next month.

Starting with the level crossing signs, the works are expected to be completed between the end of this year and early 2016 when the Ealing Broadway improvements will be completed.