Pollution in Church Street
How pollution is impacting locals
Pollution in Albion Road, Stoke Newington Church Street and Crossways already breaches EU limits.
That means the air thousands of residents, schoolchildren, businesses and visitors breathe is harmful.
Research by experts has shown that living near a main road can stunt children's lung growth by up to 13% in London, and can mean an increased risk of cardiac arrest, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, bronchitis.
In an email to local website StokeyParents on 25th January 2018, Hackney Council suggested it might be necessary to close part of the playground at William Patten 'as a precaution.' The Council spokesperson said:
“Based on the monitoring obtained so far and our audit of the school we provided an indication of some of the measures that would probably be proposed for the school, including:
- An air quality warning system to let the school know when air quality is likely to exceed short term NAQO’s for nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, and;
- As a precaution restrict access to the portion of the playground adjoining Stoke Newington Church Street until air quality improves along the borough’s roads."
That sentiment was backed by air quality consultants working for the Mayor of London - they also suggested closing a section of William Patten's playground and installing air filters in classrooms.
We are campaigning for a traffic reduction scheme for Church St and the main roads in the area, and pollution mitigation such as green screens at all schools.
ITV News
On February 8th, 2018 ITV London carried out an experiment in Stoke Newington working with scientists from Queen Mary University of London to establish how much soot is in the air children breathe. They fitted pollution monitors to a William Patten primary school pupil and measured all day. The evidence showed a sustained spike in pollution during his football practice in the school playground and a peak on his walk home that was 20 times higher what scientists consider to be safe. Dr Norrice Liu of the Queen Mary University of London, said: “It’s quite a spectacular peak – you see over a million nanograms per cubic metre air of soot. For a small child to be exposed to that level of black carbon is shocking.”
The plans are in direct breach of the draft London Plan, the Hackney Mayor’s manifesto and the Hackney Air Quality Action Plan.
Smaller lungs
High levels of pollution are stunting children’s lung growth. Research showed that children aged between 8-10 years old, who lived in highly polluted parts of East London, had up to 10% less lung capacity than normal. Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution. Those with heart and lung conditions are especially vulnerable.
Asthma
Pollution is a major cause of asthma.
Lowered cognitive development
"The data shows that traffic pollution stops children’s lungs growing properly"
Ian Mudway, A Respiratory Toxicologist at King’s College London
