Air Pollution

What is air pollution and why should we care?

The air we breath contains chemicals and materials from our everyday activities as well as fumes from both local and distant sources. Inner city areas like Southwark tend to have higher concentrations of these fumes, causing our air to become polluted.

At high levels, pollutants can cause health problems, particularly to people who suffer from lung and heart conditions. Air pollution also damages our environment, destroying the eco system in our green spaces and even corroding the bricks of our buildings.

The causes of air pollution

• Traffic fumes from cars, buses, lorries and other vehicles are the main cause of air pollution. Southwark has several 'Commuter Corridors' that support a constant flow of heavy traffic to and from central London. Recent measures such as the introduction of cleaner fuels and catalytic converters help to control the emissions, but further solutions are needed
  
• Industrial activities are very few industrial areas in Southwark. However activities such as vehicle spraying, printing/processing and petrol filling stations are regulated for their emissions by the council
  
• Construction works both demolition and building causes the release of dust and solvent pollution. The council has produced an environmental code to control construction operations. We will shortly make the Environmental Code of Construction Practice available online
  
• Energy use the increasing number of offices, working environments and residential properties in Southwark also involves an increase in emissions from those buildings. This problem will be addressed through the 'sustainability assessment' criteria introduced by the new Southwark Plan
  
• Domestic smoke the recent trend for open fireplaces has raised the issue of domestic smoke. Southwark is a Smoke Control Area. This means that coal, wood and oil cannot be burned in Southwark unless a) they can be burned without producing smoke i.e. using smokeless fuels, or b) you have an 'exempted fireplace'. You can download a Word document containing a list of approved smokeless fuels and exempted fireplaces (pdf 493kb)
  
• Garden Bonfires and Fireworks generate smoke particles and pollutants. Instead of burning your garden waste, turn it into compost. Garden waste that's too woody to compost can be disposed of at Southwark's recycle and re-use centre

Measuring air pollution in Southwark

There are three air monitoring points in the borough that measure air pollution every hour. These points are located on Old Kent Road, Walworth Road and at Crystal Palace. You can view the latest results from the monitoring points on Kings College's environment web pages. The latest air pollution levels are also available on Ceefax and Teletext.

The entire borough of Southwark, except for the area to the south of the A205, has been declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). The area has been identified as being particularly polluted, largely due to heavy traffic. You can view a map of the AQMA in Southwark on the National Air Quality website.

What can we do to reduce air pollution?

All of us can do something to reduce the amount of pollution.

Residents - ask yourself these questions

• Is my car journey really necessary?
• Do I really need a car for short journeys or school runs?
• Could I travel at another time and avoid the rush hour?
• Can I walk, cycle or use public transport instead of a car?
• Is my car operating efficiently?
• Am I using the cleanest fuel?
• Could I get a lift or share my car with a friend or neighbour?
• Am I composting garden waste instead of burning it?
• Am I burning smokeless fuel in my fireplace?
• Am I attending local forums in my area to discuss these issues?

Businesses - ask yourself these questions

• Have we drawn up a 'green' travel plan for our staff and business journeys?
• Are our vehicles operating efficiently and using the greenest fuels?
• Have we taken advantage of government grants towards vehicle replacement and retrofit?
• Are our vehicles making frequent journeys when empty?
• Do they need to operate during the rush hour in congested areas?
• Have we examined our energy use?
• How well are our process emissions contained?
• Are we involved with a freight quality partnership?
• Construction businesses - What measures have we taken to reduce dust from our sites?
• Are we aware of the Construction code of practice or the considerate contractor scheme?

So what's Southwark Council doing about it?

Southwark council has been leading by example. We were one of the first councils to introduce 'green' council vehicles that run on either natural gas or electricity. Southwark council has prepared a draft improvement plan that will

• Restrict emissions and energy use from industrial and domestic activities
• Reduce vehicle emissions
• Reduce traffic into Southwark and residential areas
• Increase walking, cycling and the role of public transport
• Introduce flexible arrangements for traffic/parking in new developments
• Raise awareness and promote change

Many of these measures will be delivered through the council's 'Southwark Plan' (UDP) and 'Transport Plan'.

If you want to know more

Southwark council has published an air quality improvement plan called 'Managing Air Quality 2000 to 2005'. This document is now available on the Environment and Leisure publications page.

Contact us

For more information or to report specific air pollution problems, please contact us using the details below.

Environmental Protection Team
Tel: 020 7525 2953
Fax: 020 7525 5768
environment@southwark.gov.uk 
Environment and Housing
The Chaplin Centre
Thurlow Street
London
SE17 2DW