St Mark's Ward Councillors

Your Local Lib Dems working to make Surbiton even better Learn more

Read more on this

Read more on this

Air Quality Action Plan – Liberal Democrats fight for clean air

by lizgreen on 17 March, 2016

Since 2003, the Council has had to develop an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) setting out the measures it intends to put in place in pursuit of National Air Quality Objectives. In several locations in the borough primarily close to busy roads, the Council is exceeding safe limits set in the National Air Quality Objectives for both Nitrogen Dioxide and particulate matter.

Councillor Hilary Gander, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Environment said,

“Unfortunately in some places our air quality is not good enough and this poses a potentially harmful risk to the health of Borough residents.”

Last autumn the Conservative Administration launched their consultation on a revised AQAP which will be discussed at Adults and Children’s Committee on Wednesday. Liberal Democrats submitted a detailed response to the document, making the case for additional significant actions to be taken.

Councillor Hilary Gander explained,

“We did not feel their Plan went far enough and our strong recommendation was that, instead of aiming only not to let air pollution get worse, we endeavour to make the air we all breathe cleaner. I am pleased our work is contained in the new AQAP document.”

Liberal Democrats suggested a raft of suggestions to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of local air pollution, including:

  • improving bus priority to make this mode of transport more attractive and tempt more people away from their cars
  • accelerating the adoption of low emission buses in the borough
  • safe routes for people on bikes, building on the mini Hollands (‘Go Developments’) schemes, to encourage people to use this non-polluting mode of transport
  • discouraging people from idling their vehicles at kerbside
  • Plan more tree planting because of the trees’ capacity to remove air pollution

Councillor Hilary Gander continued

“I think it’s important that people know about the issues so I am glad to see the new AQAP plans to make information available to residents but we would like to go even further, installing many more monitoring stations, for example in school playgrounds near busy roads, and encouraging ‘Citizen Science’ projects, where residents are involved in monitoring pollution hotspots.”

Liberal Democrats think the AQAP could go even further regarding the impact of new developments. These were our suggestions:

  • Ensure decisions on planning applications, especially regarding children’s facilities and schools should take account of local air quality levels (this will be more easy to achieve if we have more monitoring stations).
  • Arrange that planning for high-rise developments includes investigations into how the high rise buildings trap particulate matter, which is particularly harmful to children.
  • Air quality measurement carried out by independent contractors as a compulsory part of planning consent.
  • Where new builds do have to happen in polluted areas, enforce more rigorous air quality mitigations in the planning system (air filters etc.)
  • Any developments such as those around Tolworth roundabout (Tolworth Towers site, Former MoD site, Lidl’s HQ, Premier Inn) will significantly add to air pollution on A3 and A240 which are already identified as exceeding the limits. Contribution towards improving public transport facilities, cycle parking (and see above for cycle routes) and planting trees should be encouraged through the planning system.
  • Similarly Crossrail 2: whilst in many ways it should be a contributor to reducing emissions, it is likely to attract more vehicles carrying people who want to access the new improved service, particularly from Surrey on to the A243, where pollution is already high. We should start to plan ways to encourage sustainable travel and to mitigate additional emissions.

The Lib Dems are also proposing to introduce more 20mph zones – a scheme will go out to consultation later in the year in Surbiton – which will encourage more people to walk and cycle and in turn ease congestion and reduce air pollution. And increase safety.