Brent Council publishes its Air Quality Action Plan - protecting those most at risk. Brent has some of the most toxic air in the UK and pollutants can cause serious harm. It is estimated air pollution kills 149 Brent residents each year.

 

 

From Brent Council

Brent’s new plan for how to improve air quality and protect those most at risk from toxic air over the next four years was passed by Cabinet this week. 

 

Brent has some of the most toxic air in the UK and pollutants can cause serious harm. It is estimated air pollution kills 149 Brent residents each year. 

 

The Air Quality Action Plan 2023-2027 (AQAP) sets out how the council will work closely with residents to combat the main sources of pollution in Brent, by:  

Improving transport and encouraging sustainable travel

• Making homes and buildings energy efficient 
• Tackling pollution from construction sites
• Reducing inequalities through raising awareness of the health impacts of pollution.

 

To support this plan, the council is launching its Air Quality Champions programme which aims to recruit community volunteers to raise awareness of pollution and help shape solutions. Apply to become an Air Quality Champion and help the council deliver this important work. 

 

Air quality has improved in Brent but pollution remains at dangerous levels in parts of the borough, particularly around the North Circular and in Harlesden. The action plan prioritises these areas to tackle pollution there first. 

 

Through committing to thirty-seven actions, the AQAP will aim to reduce levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10). 

 

Sign up to Brent’s Environmental Network to stay up to date about Brent Council’s work to combat the climate emergency and poor air quality. 

Read the Air Quality Action Plan (2023-27).  

 Here are some key images from the Action plan (it is more than 100 pages so best viewed via the above links:

Note PM10 and PM 2.5 Measure Particulate Matter LINK  NOx measure Nitrogen oxides LINK

BRENT AIR QUALITY FOCUS AREAS

Image from Philip Grant's May 2022 Stopping-up Order objection, as referred to in his comment of 22 December below.

'Radical action needed to protect Brent's children from air pollution,' says Clean Air for Brent

Poster from Green Action Centre

From Clean Air for Brent

The Mayor of London has published his long-awaited School Air Quality Audits, and they include two Brent primary schools which are situated next to busy roads, where the pupils are routinely exposed to illegal levels of air pollution. (1)

Clean Air for Brent is calling for urgent action from Brent Council and Transport for London which will deliver an immediate and positive impact on the air being breathed by children at John Keble, Ark Franklin and other Brent schools. 

We strongly urge that all such heavily trafficked roads in Brent become Low Emission Bus Zones – where only the cleanest buses are permitted during school travel times - and emission levels are monitored and acted upon where found to be consistently in breach of legal limits deemed fit for humans.

We also want to see other big polluters such as construction lorries banned from these routes during the start and end of school days.

And the number of children currently transported to and from schools by car must be halved. We have to call time on the ‘school run’.

While we welcome all schools having travel plans and joining TfL’s STARS scheme, we call on Brent Council to end its bizarre and perverse policy of giving teachers more car parking permits if the school has a ‘greener’ travel plan.

Finally we wish to see the Kensal Corridor traffic scheme - which is partly intended to tackle pollution - suspended until it can be fully and successfully integrated with the Ark Franklin Primary air quality improvement proposals. Both schemes need drastic strengthening before being taken forward.

“It is time to stop playing God with children’s lives” said Fiona Mulaisho, Chair of Clean Air for Brent. 

1. The Mayor’s School Air Quality Audit for Ark Franklin Primary Academy in Kensal Rise can be found here: https://bit.ly/2knrMY1 and the equivalent report for John Keble C of E Primary School in Harlesden can be found here: https://bit.ly/2x8CN8R

Editor's note:  Parents may be interested in joining the Clean Air Parents' Network HERE

Brent Council claims 11.3% reduction in its carbon footprint

From Brent Council

A recent report LINK shows Brent Council's carbon footprint has reduced by 11.3 per cent, totalling approximately £220K worth of savings per year.

CO₂ emissions have reduced from 14,189 tonnes in 2013/14 to 12,585 in 2015/16, creating a total reduction of 1605 tonnes. The reduction will continue as our Carbon Management Programme works towards its target of a 15 per cent total reduction.

This will involve replacing streetlights with greener LED upgrades, encouraging staff to reduce the energy used in council buildings and aiming to retrofit some buildings to make them more energy efficient and better for the environment.

Cllr Van Kalwala makes the case against the Harlesden Incinerator

Recorded at Ealing Council Planning Committee August 14th 2013

WE DEMAND A BILL FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET, NOT FOR POLLUTING PROFITEERS

                     EMERGENCY DEMONSTRATION

Wednesday 19th December 2012
5.30pm-7pm
Parliament Square
   
The Government is trying to sneak its disastrous Energy Bill through Parliament before Christmas with minimal attention.

Don't let them get away with it!

Come to Parliament Square on the day the Bill is debated to MAKE A NOISE for an energy system that serves people and planet.

Bring instruments, bring chants, bring Energy Bill-themed Christmas songs...

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/515534771803540/

WE DEMAND A BILL FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET, NOT FOR POLLUTING PROFITEERS

We are groups and individuals who have come together to highlight the deep flaws in the Energy Bill now going through Parliament. The Bill as written will take us further away from the urgent tasks of cutting down greenhouse gas emissions and helping people to heat and power their homes affordably.

The past year has revealed the dangers of climate change resulting from rising greenhouse gas emissions, caused largely by the burning of fossil fuels. A series of extreme weather events and a melting Arctic point to the future catastrophe we face as a result of a drastically changing climate, caused by the failure to control rising emissions.

Sections of the media and some politicians have framed the Bill as a threat to increase our energy bills to pay for low carbon renewable energy, but this argument is deeply flawed.

The Energy Bill in its current form would lock us into future dependence on fossil fuels - by encouraging a new dash for gas. Our energy bills would continue to shoot up as gas prices increase and we turn to environmentally-destructive fracking. 

The lack of a 2030 electricity decarbonisation target in the Bill makes this future dependence on fossil fuels more probable. This frightening omission only serves to line the pockets of Big Energy, instead of making the planet habitable for future generations. We should be empowering communities and individuals to generate their own renewable energy locally, and investing in energy efficiency and storage, to make energy bills affordable for struggling householders.

We call for an emergency demonstration outside Parliament at the second reading of the Bill, and will work to build a further demonstration and rally outside Parliament at the third reading of the Bill. 

We need an energy system that serves people and the planet, not Cameron and his cronies.

http://www.climatebloc.wordpress.com/

Brent to introduce high emissions-high charges parking policy

Tomorrow's Brent Executive is due to discuss a proposed emission-based charging regime for parking permits in Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs).  Currently there is no charge for vehicles below 1200cc registered before 2001 and no charge for vehicles in DVLA bands A,B and C registered after 2001. All other vehicles are £50 for the first permit, £75 for the second and £100 for the third. Visitors' permits are £100 each. The proposal is seen as a way of combating climate change and raising revenue.  In addition to the new charges it is suggested that residents could be awarded a 'permit surrender prize' and car club users could have a free permit allowing them to park in any CPZ in the borough.

The proposed new charges are set out below:

Currently 25% of Brent is covered by CPZs and the estimate of vehicles in each band based on renewals and new permits in July 2010 are (Above Brent Bands):
1-6%, 2-6%,  3-21%, 4-31%, 5-22%, 6-11%, 7-3%

After consultation the charges would be introduced from April 1st 2011 or as near to that date as possible.

FULL REPORT HERE