Plans announced to tackle pollution on London's dirtiest roads

Low Emission Zone to include the most polluting larger vans and minibuses from January 2012

The Mayor of London has set out detailed plans to tackle air pollution hotspots to ensure London meets legal targets for particulate matter by 2011 and that 250km of the dirtiest roads meet NO2 legal targets by 2015.

'Clearing the Air', the Mayor's Air Quality Strategy, is now out for public consultation, with a range of pollution-busting measures to reduce concentrations of particulate matter (PM10) by an estimated 10 to 20 per cent at priority areas in central London. These include: Marylebone Road, Euston Road, Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Victoria Embankment, Upper Thames Street and Tower Hill.

The latest figures show London is on track to meet PM10 legal limits by 2011, but these areas have been identified as being most at risk of breaching limits when weather conditions are poor.

Actions to target these areas will be undertaken in partnership with local boroughs and Transport for London following months of detailed discussion. Potential solutions that could be applied depending on each location include:

• ·Power washing the roads to remove harmful particulates from traffic;
• Applying dust suppressants on road surfaces;
• Changes to signal timings to smooth the flow of traffic;
• Planting green walls and trees to absorb particulates and to protect pedestrians;
• No-idling enforcement to stop people leaving their engine running for long periods;
• Deploying the cleanest buses along these routes.

In addition, the strategy proposes measures to clean up roads across London so that 250km more of London's roads will meet legal targets for NO2 by 2015 which would otherwise have breached these limits. This includes retrofitting older buses with equipment to bring them up to cleaner Euro 4 standards for NOx and the introduction of a new NOx standard for larger vehicles that have to comply with the Low Emission Zone standards.

The Mayor has also proposed today that - subject to statutory public consultation on the implementation date - the oldest, most polluting heavier vans and minibuses will be included in the Low Emission Zone from January 2012.

In addition, the Mayor has committed to work with the vehicle manufacturing industry to develop an affordable black cab that emits 60 per cent less pollution by 2015, and a zero-emission black cab by 2020. The Mayor has proposed to introduce age limits for taxis and minicabs to ensure the most polluting of these vehicles are removed from London's roads subject to consultation with the taxi and Private Hire Vehicle trade.

The Mayor is also discussing with London Councils how the London Lorry Control Scheme can be used to incentivise a cleaner 'London lorry' standard that will deliver substantial improvements in freight emissions.

This is in addition to over £250m that the GLA is already spending on measures, which are improving the capital's air quality. Air quality is an issue that affects all cities and towns across the country. The recent House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report estimated that air pollution could be contributing to as many as 50,000 deaths in the UK per year. Early results of a study commissioned by the Mayor to be published later this year suggests that around 4,300 people a year in London could be dying prematurely, mainly as a result of the impact of poor air quality on pre-existing conditions such as asthma, heart disease and respiratory illness.

The Mayor has today joined the Committee in calling on the Government to commit the resources necessary to reduce the enormous burden air pollution places on organisations such as the NHS and to implement national measures where they are most effective: such as a national framework for certifying vehicle retrofitting and raising public awareness of the challenges faced in tackling air quality, incentives for fleet managers to retrofit their vehicles to make them cleaner, an extended vehicle scrappage scheme targeted at particular vehicle types (eg, vans, minibuses and taxis) and better-coordinated and funded energy efficiency schemes for homes and workplaces and electrification of London's rail network.

The Mayor Boris Johnson said: 'We are taking tough action to clean up London’s air by targeting measures where they will have the most impact. These are creating a city where buses and taxis are becoming progressively less polluting, where cycling and transport choices such as electric vehicles will become more widespread.

'As part of this drive for a cleaner city, from January 2012, I am proposing to push ahead with the inclusion of heavier vans and minibuses in the Low Emission Zone. We are also planning to introduce age limits on taxis to eradicate the oldest, dirtiest vehicles. As part of this work, we are talking to manufacturers to develop a wonderful new black cab that emits no fumes by 2020.

'But London simply cannot crack this pressing problem alone, not least because a significant amount of pollution is blown in from outside our boundaries. It is estimated that air quality is contributing to the deaths of up to 50,000 people every year across the UK. That is why I am calling on the Government to implement and provide adequate funding for initiatives that will tackle pollution in London. We've set out specific measures we're calling on Government to adopt that we believe will enable compliance with all limit values.'

Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation said: "We welcome the Mayor's proposed air quality strategy for London. Any initiative, which reduces harmful emissions for Londoners, is a positive step forward, particularly for the 1 in 7 affected by lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma as it can worsen their symptoms. Improving the air we breathe should mean fewer premature deaths, reduced hospital visits, and fewer GP consultations for people with respiratory disease.'

These detailed proposals form part of a public draft of the Mayor's air quality action plan, which is now open to consultation. The strategy outlines the key sources of London's harmful airborne pollutants and proposes an action plan to reduce emissions. The pollutants of particular concern are nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10) - road transport is the main source of emissions - with emissions from gas used in homes and businesses also a large contributor of NO2. A significant proportion of pollution is also blown into London from outside the capital.

The Mayor is already implementing a range of measures in London to improve air quality such as introducing a hybrid bus fleet, record levels of investment in cycling and programmes to cut domestic and commercial emissions. The New Bus for London, due to enter service in 2012, will incorporate the latest hybrid technology and will be both 40 per cent more fuel efficient than conventional diesel buses and 15 per cent more fuel efficient than current London hybrid buses.

The Mayor also has ambitious plans to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe - this took a major step forward recently with the confirmation of up to £17 million additional funding for electric vehicle infrastructure. This will deliver a network of around 7,500 charging points by spring 2013 with around 1,600 charge points to be installed over the next 12 months.

But the Government faces large fines of potentially millions of pounds from the European Union if legal air quality limits are not met across the UK.

Implementation of the policies and proposals in the strategy is expected to reduce PM10 emissions in central London by around 13 per cent by 2011 and by about a third by 2015 (compared to 2008). Together with the targeted local measures in priority areas, modelling suggests that this will allow London to be compliant with legal limits by 2011. The strategy will also see NOx emissions fall by 35 per cent by 2015 (compared to 2008 levels). However, NO2 is a national issue requiring further action from central Government. The Mayor is calling on the Government to introduce national measures, which will deliver benefits in London and across the country. Together with the measures in the Mayor’s strategy, these will meet NO2 limit values in London by 2015. ENDS

Notes to editors

Key measures contained in the public consultation draft  of the Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy 'Clearing the Air' include:

· Further smarter travel schemes to encourage shift to cleaner modes where possible;
· Targeted package of measures for air quality ‘hotspots’;
· Retrofitting older buses so that they meet the Euro IV standard for NOx;
· Introducing vans and minibuses to the LEZ from January 2012 (see below);
· Introducing a NOx standard into the LEZ from 2015;
· Updating and fully implementing guidance for reducing dust at construction and demolition sites;
· Using the planning system to make new developments ‘air quality neutral’;
· Energy efficiency programmes to reduce emissions from heating of homes and workplaces;
· Information campaigns to raise awareness of air quality issues.

The Mayor’s air quality strategy can be seen at: www.london.gov.uk/priorities/environment/vision-strategy/air-quality

Link to Commons report:
www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/environmental_audit_committee/eacpn220310.cfm

· In February 2009, the Mayor announced a deferral of the inclusion of larger vans and minibuses in the Low Emission Zone. This was to allow more time in tough economic times for smaller businesses and the self employed to replace older vehicles. Larger vans and minibuses were scheduled to be included from October 2010 and the proposal is to defer this until January 2012. This proposal is subject to the outcome of consultation on the Mayor’s Draft Transport Strategy and to further public consultation on any variation order required to implement the proposal. 
· The Mayor and the London boroughs are legally required to achieve and work towards certain national air quality objectives. The Mayor has a legal responsibility to prepare and keep up to date an Air Quality Strategy that implements in Greater London the national air quality strategystartegy and achievesacheives national air quality objectives, which incorporate legally binding EU limit values.
· Road transport is the main source of particulate matter (PM10), the highest concentrations of which are restricted to a small number of hotspots, mainly in central London. Road transport and domestic gas are the main sources of NO2 emissions of which hotspots are located more widely across London.
· In general, 40 per cent of PM10 concentrations in central London and 20 per cent of NO2 concentrations in Greater London are caused by emissions coming from outside London.
· The Government is in the process of applying for an extension to 2011 to meet EU limit values for PM10 and is expected to apply for an extension until 2015 to meet NO2 limit values. 25 of EU member states are exceeding PM10 limit values in at least one part of the country – normally the major cities.

There is a range of measures already being delivered in London to improve air quality:

· Development of electric vehicle infrastructure
· Congestion charging and the London Low Emission Zone. The current Low Emission Zone will continue to operate to reduce emissions from the heaviest, most polluting vehicles; the Mayor will introduce phase 4 of the scheme in January 2012 to require Euro IV standards for HGVs, buses and coaches.
· Smarter travel initiatives to encourage a shift to cleaner modes of transport.
· Funding and supporting car clubs (especially hybrid and electric cars).
· Improving road maintenance (to reduce particles from road disintegration).
· Smoothing traffic flows.
· Bus emissions programme, so that from 2012 every new bus entering the fleet will be diesel-electric hybrid.
· Publication and implementation of the London Best Practice Guidance for controlling dust and emissions from construction.
· The 2009 Londoner Survey found that pollution from traffic was the second biggest concern for Londoners, after litter.