Time to tackle our pollution problem
The local Liberal Democrat team have called on Wandsworth Council to get serious about tackling the dangerously high levels of air pollution within the borough, which include some of London’s most polluted ‘hotspots’.
The team has responded to the Council’s consultation on its Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP 2021-2025) which closed on 4 January 2022. The Lib Dems are demanding that Wandsworth City Hall:
- Strengthens action on dirty air hotspots, including Putney High Street and Nine Elms;
- Step up its plans for more walking and cycling;
- Sets ambitious targets for school streets, enrolment in the TfL STARS scheme and more play streets;
- Makes sure that developers follow rules on dust and emissions on construction sites and meet the highest insulation standards in all new developments;
- Lobbies TfL for cleaner, more accessible public transport, including making East Putney Station step-free;
- Involves residents in shaping plans through a Citizens’ Assembly for Clean Air.
Fix our unhealthy streets
Wandsworth received a woefully low rating of 5.4 out of 10 in the 2021 Healthy Streets Scorecard and has a long way to go to meet the Government’s target of 50% of journeys by bicycle or foot by 2030.
“Air pollution and the climate emergency affect us all, so it’s vital that the Council ramp up its own activities on both issues and harnesses the energy of the Wandsworth community to make the changes needed. A community which is cleaner and greener is also healthier and a more enjoyable place to live,” said Sue Wixley, a local spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats.