Traffic on Beech Street on the Barbican Estate in London
(Picture: PA)Britain’s first “zero emissions street” could be permanently reinstated after toxic air rose to illegal levels when an 18-month trial ended.
Petrol and diesel vehicles were banned from using Beech Street, a road tunnel under the Barbican estate, as a through route from March 2020.
But when the experiment ended in September 2021, nitrogen dioxide levels shot back up — as did overall levels of traffic, though numbers had been suppressed by the pandemic.
The City of London Corporation is consulting residents on reinstating the ban, though all vehicles would be allowed to turn left from Golden Lane and use a short eastbound section of Beech Street to avoid the restrictions causing difficulties for Islington residents.
Graham Packham, chairman of the City’s streets committee, said: “As an enclosed, tunnel-like thoroughfare, Beech Street has long had the unenviable record of being one of the most polluted streets in the City, with unacceptably high levels of nitrogen dioxide.
“The scheme we’re proposing would have a significant effect on reducing pollution levels and improving air quality in this part of the Square Mile.
“Doing nothing is not an option — we need to take radical action to ensure residents, workers and visitors to the City can breathe clean, healthy air.”
The trial saw NO2 levels drop 61 per cent, contributing to a 42 per cent drop in NO2 levels in the City since 2016.
Making the restrictions permanent would potentially cut NO2 by a quarter and help the City Corporation achieve its net zero aims.
CCTV numberplate-reading cameras are used to enforce the restrictions. During the trial, about 34,000 penalty tickets were issued.
In most cases, vehicles have to be fully electric rather than hybrid to comply with the zero-emission rules.
Islington council wants to create a “healthy neighbourhood” around the wider Barbican and Bunhill area.
Rowena Champion, of Islington council, said: “We know that the climate emergency is critically urgent, and that we must take action now to adapt our streets so that they are cleaner.”
Oliver Lord, UK head of Clean Cities Campaign, said: "This is great news. Reducing the number of polluting vehicles in this area brought huge health benefits and doing so again will send the right signal that zero emission zones are the future.
“I couldn’t believe these restrictions were removed in the first place and it’s great to see the City and Islington working together on a broader plan. Cleaner air is on course for a reprise at the Barbican.”
