A wave of reforms have been brought out across the capital in an attempt to tackle air toxicity and pollution in the capital this year, but is it “too little too late”?

The city breached its air pollution limit for the whole of 2017 in just five days this year, when Brixton Road in Lambeth exceeded the annual limit of pollutant nitrogen dioxide on January 5.

The road was joined shortly afterwards by Putney High Street, which breached its regulations by January 8.

Wimbledon Times:

Putney High Street

January 6: London breaches annual air pollution limit in under a week for third successive year

The capital also breached its annual air pollution limits within the first week of both 2015 and 2016.

Exposure to polluted air has been linked to the early deaths of about 40,000 people a year across the country. City Hall estimates 9,400 deaths across London were associated with long-term exposure to pollution in 2010.

It can cause heart disease, lung disease, asthma and impact children’s development, and has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Just last month toxic air alerts were issued across London, including in Wandsworth, Kingston, Wimbledon, Richmond and Greenwich, as air pollution in capital surpassed levels in Beijing. But is enough being done to tackle what the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called a “public health emergency”?

January 23: Toxic air warnings issued across south London including Richmond, Wimbledon and Greenwich as pollution levels hit 'red alert' once again​

At the end of January, City Hall announced 50 schools around London would be receiving air quality audits in attempt to find ways to lower emissions and exposure to pollution around the schools, which could include moving play areas and changing the layout of nearby roads.

There are currently 360 primary schools around London in areas exceeding legal air pollution limits.

Although Mr Khan hailed the move as “a strong step towards helping some of the most polluted schools in London identify effective solutions to protect pupils from toxic fumes”, the measure was criticised by some environmental groups for not doing enough.

Friends of the Earth campaigner Sophie Neuburg said: “London’s children deserve better. The Mayor’s policies to clean up London’s air are a good first step but they do not go far enough. Planning rules must be changed so new schools can’t be built next to air pollution hotspots.

“And Sadiq Khan must listen to the growing calls from health groups and campaigners and commit to ban diesel on London’s roads by 2025.”

Although a ban on diesel vehicles does not appear to be forthcoming, it was announced on Friday, February 17, that drivers of the oldest and most polluting vehicles in the capital would be subjected to a £10 “toxicity charge” in central London from October 23 this year.

The so-called “T-charge” targets vehicles which do not meet Euro 4 emission standards, typically petrol and diesel cars registered before 2006, and will operate during the same times as the congestion charge.

However, this measure has been criticised by the Greater London Authority (GLA) Conservatives’ environment spokesman, Shaun Bailey, who argued that research showed it would only reduce nitrogen dioxide by between one and three per cent.

Wimbledon Times:

Can targeting diesel vehicles help tackle pollution?

Mr Bailey said: “Londoners will be disappointed to see the Mayor unable to defend a policy predicted to cost 9,000 drivers a combined £23 million a year. What we need, instead of politicising the environment, is a sensible policy that actually tackles air pollution.”

Other boroughs around London have also taken it upon themselves to adopt fines for polluting cars, including Merton Council which is preparing to bring in a diesel levy that will increase the cost of parking permits by £150 over the next three years for diesel vehicles.

January 16: Diesel levy: Parking permits to increase by £150 in attempt to combat air pollution in Merton​

Similar levies have already been introduced in Islington, Kensington, Chelsea and Camden, but many campaigners are now also concerned about the impact a third runway at Heathrow will have on air pollution in London, after an assessment carried out for the Department for Transport warned the runway may delay compliance with air quality laws for several years.

In the meantime, the UK has now received a “final warning” from the European Commission for continually breaching the air pollution limit, and the Government has admitted London may not meet targets until 2025.

A Government spokesman reiterated ministers’ commitment to improving the UK’s air quality, and pointed to an extra £2 billion for cleaner transport since 2011, and an extra £290 million given in November’s autumn statement for electric cars and other clean technology.

Updated air quality plans are expected from the Government later this year.

However, Friends of the Earth have demanded clean air zones and a commitment to phasing out diesel entirely, and called for a ‘Clean Air Act’ to be brought in post-Brexit.

Air pollution campaigner Jenny Bates said: “It’s shameful that the EU has to take legal action against the UK Government to get it to deal with the dangerous levels of dirty air across the country.

“Air pollution is responsible for tens of thousands of early deaths every year and is harming the health of an entire generation of children. Current Government plans have been shown to be too little too late.”

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