| Topic: | Re:Re:air quality and Putney Green Primary school proposal | |
| Posted by: | Jonathan Callaway | |
| Date/Time: | 31/03/12 11:24:00 |
| I think the air quality issue is very real and the Telegraph report pretty alarming. The Putney Society has argued that levels of particulate emissions need to be addressed with the same vigour as the nitrogen dioxide levels - where some success is being achieved in forcing TfL to bring forward its plans to upgrade most of the buses using PHS and other local routes. While the focus is on PHS it is worth noting that the first route in Putney to get any hybrids will be the 22 which uses LRR not PHS. Another worry here is that the message is not getting through to schools. We were disappointed to say the least that when we issued our press release on the results of our NO2 survey last December we sent it to every school in Putney urging them to take the issue up with the Council and pointing out the disprportionate effects of air pollution on chilren's lungs - and heard not a word from any of the schools, not one of them. Further, since December the Council has granted permission for Putney High School, on ultra-busy Putney Hill where we measured some of the highest levels of NO2, to expand its intake by over 100 pupils. Another school, Prospect House, based just off Tibbetts Ride at the top of the Hill, wants to expand as well, can't do so at the current site so has acquired a building on Putney Hill itself, next to Manor Fields, for its overspill. More children being exposed to traffic fumes and no serious consideration of the effects. It is easy to blame the local authorities but they, and the Mayor, are taking their lead from central government and DEFRA's stance is quite frankly a disgrace (in my personal opinion!). They have been slated by a parliamentary commission but nothing is changing. When the likes of the Telegraph and the Guardian, who have also widely reported on our air pollution problem, join forces then there is clearly something out of the ordinary going on. DEFRA needs to wake up and confront an issue with no easy solutions and probably no cheap ones, but still one which by the government's own figures is causing the premature deaths of 29,000 people per annum in England and Wales, and 4,200 per annum just in London. These deaths are attributed to particulates rather than NO2 or ozone, it should be noted. Check www.cleanairinlondon.org.uk for much more on this. Many thanks to Tim for highlighting the Telegraph article. |