Illegal levels of toxic air have been recorded in areas of outer London that will be targeted by the Ulez expansion, according to latest data.
It came as Sadiq Khan compared dirty air with the scandal of water companies releasing raw sewage into rivers – and ahead of a High Court challenge which threatens to derail the mayor’s Ulez plans.
“You would not accept dirty water making you and your family sick,” he said. “Why do you accept dirty air?”
Five Tory councils – Harrow, Hillingdon, Bexley, Bromley and Surrey county council - have asked the court to rule that the way Mr Khan has proposed to extend the ultra-low emission zone to the Greater London boundary, from August 29, is illegal.
The hearing, which starts on Tuesday, is expected to last two days – with judgement not expected for several weeks.
The research, by sustainability consultancy Ricardo for the the Clean Cities Campaign, found that annual nitrogen dioxide levels in a third of London boroughs breached the UK Government’s maximum permitted level (of 40μg/m3) last year.
A total of 13 of 76 air pollution monitors detected illegal NO2 levels. These included Hangar Lane gyratory in Ealing and at Ikea in Brent – both just outside the current Ulez boundary – and Wallington in Sutton and Cromwell Road in Kingston.
This compared with 15 out of 73 monitors in 2021, though direct comparisons are difficult because of the impact of the pandemic on traffic levels, and differences in monitoring sites.
Other sites already inside the Ulez where NO2 limits were breached included Brixton Road in Lambeth, Euston Road in Camden and Marylebone Road in Westminster.
Campaigners said it highlighted the need to “ditch diesel” vehicles from the capital by 2030.
Oliver Lord, head of strategy at the Clean Cities Campaign, said, “Sadly the same siren is sounding again and I’m hoping this time that politicians will listen. Air pollution in London is breaching legal limits that were meant to be met 13 years ago, and when that eventually happens, they are still four times the World Health Organization’s guidelines to protect public health.”
Dr Jonathan Hudson, a cardiology registrar at Kingston hospital, said: “Toxic air in London is costing lives and makes people sicker. Air pollution gets deep into the bloodstream and increases the risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases. Diesel fumes, in particular, have been proven to be among the most dangerous for us to breathe.”
Mr Khan was accused at the State of London debate last week of “not listening” to Londoners opposed to the Ulez expansion – and was warned that “this is going to be your Poll Tax”. Hundreds of newly erected Ulez enforcement cameras have been targeted by vandals.
Mr Khan said the greatest number of Londoners with respiratory issues lived in outer London – but pledged to review the impact of the expansion.
He said: “In a year’s time, we will look at the policy to see if it’s effective. The evidence from both central and inner [London Ulez schemes] were that they were both effective.
“If in a year’s time the Ulez expansion is shown not to work, that would be a failure.”
