Help Westminster's residents to cut air pollution, say LibDems
June 18, 2006 8:30 PM
Conservative councillors need to do much more to encourage Westminster residents to use greener forms of transport
Liberal Democrats in Westminster are calling for more urgency from the Council to cut air pollution, as official government figures reveal local levels well in excess of European safe limits.
The air in two of Westminster's wards - St James's and West End - has levels of the noxious gas nitrogen dioxide exceeding European safe limits by up to 50%. Only 10 wards in the entire country have such high levels.
A further 11 wards in Westminster have air pollution levels up to 25% above safe limits - Bryanston and Dorset Square, Churchill, Church Street, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, Lancaster Gate, Little Venice, Marylebone High Street, Regent's Park, Vincent Square, and Warwick.
Commenting on the report, local Liberal Democrat Stuart Bonar, said:
"Such high levels of nitrogen dioxide are a clear threat to health. Poor air quality also damages the quality of life of Westminster residents.
"Obviously there will inevitably be some air pollution in central London and many of the solutions must be found at the national level. There is still plenty of scope however for local action from the Council.
"We need therefore to see much more urgency from the Conservative councillors to do what can be done at the local level. I both live and work in Westminster and yet I have never heard anything from the Council encouraging individuals to walk and cycle more, to use public transport whenever possible, and not to drive wherever an adequate alternative exists.
"We all need to do our bit, but people need encouragement and information to switch from driving their cars and I just do not see that coming from the councillors. The frontpage of the Council website would be an excellent and inexpensive place to do that - but although I can find out from there in one click about the childhood of the Lady Mayoress, the information on pollution and how to play one's part in reducing it is much harder to find."
"So, if the Conservative councillors don't want to do it then we will… if you want to find out how to get from anywhere to anywhere in London using public transport, and thereby do your bit to reduce air pollution, then you can do so using the Transport for London website - www.tfl.gov.uk."
To find out more about how the national Liberal Democrat would improve our environment, visit www.libdems.org.uk/environment
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