In response to the Mayor’s announcement of the results of his air quality audit of local schools and his pledge of a share of £1 million of funding to tackle toxic air levels in and around school premises across the capital, local London Assembly Member Jennette Arnold said:
“It is wholly unacceptable that children in Hackney and Islington are subjected to dangerous levels of air pollution, especially while at school.
“The Mayor’s air quality audit, which involved a number of schools in our local community, is a significant step towards identifying some of the most effective mitigation measures that can be taken to protect our children from exposure to toxic air.
“I am delighted that William Patten Primary School and De Beauvoir Primary School in Hackney and Prior Weston Primary School and Children’s Centre in Islington, have been awarded a share of £1 million by the Mayor to put these measures in place. These include large-scale programmes such as closing roads and moving playgrounds, and cost-effective solutions such as the installation of green ‘pollution barrier’ hedges.
“It is also important that we encourage parents to play their part in tackling engine idling near school premises, by leaving their cars in the driveway and walking their children to school instead. TFL’s STARS scheme, which encourages this, has almost half of all London schools signed up to it. To increase this number, the Mayor will also reveal his plans to make school walking routes safer and easier in his upcoming London Walking Plan”.
Notes to editors
Notes
-Today, the Mayor of London announced the results of his air quality audit of 50 schools across 23 London boroughs;
-The Mayor has also pledged £1 million of funding to tackle toxic air in and around school premises;
-A full list of schools who are receiving audits can be found here;
-Transport for London’s (TfL) STARS (Sustainable Travel: Active, Responsible, Safe) scheme aims to encourage more children to walk to school;
-The latest available data shows that almost half of London’s schools, 1,595 out of 3,300, have signed-up to the scheme;
-Jennette Arnold AM is the London Assembly Member for North East London.
For more information, please contact London Assembly Labour Group press officer Tim Picton, on 020 7983 5639. Number not for publication.