This week marks the ninth anniversary of the death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah. Her mother, Rosamund, says she would “still be alive today” were it not for air pollution caused by traffic near their home in Lewisham.
Ella became the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death, following a fatal asthma attack aged just nine. Her story is a tragic reminder of the threat to public health caused by London’s toxic air.
Sadiq Khan is right to say the capital faces a “pivotal moment” in its battle against air pollution. Instead of a car-led recovery, we need to invest in our public transport network and redouble our efforts to hit the Mayor’s target of 80 per cent of journeys being made by active or sustainable forms of transport by 2041.
There can be few human rights more fundamental than that of breathing clean air.
Capital bounces back
There is more good news for the central London economy. As we report today, the West End is forecast to return to its historic annual turnover of more than £10 billion within the next two years, according to a new report from property consultancy, Colliers.
There is still some way to go. Figures for last year show that while turnover was up nearly a third from 2020, that still represented only 46 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Analysts also warn that a lack of high-spending foreign visitors threatens to hold back the recovery, placing more emphasis on the need for a concerted effort to encourage more tourists to return to the city. But almost two years into the pandemic in London, this is another welcome sign that the capital is more than stirring from its slumber, it is getting ready to roar back to life.
