On the eve of local elections, how will each party tackle air pollution?

Pollution is a serious problem in Hackney, the air surrounding 98% of the borough’s main roads contains levels of harmful pollutants above the EU legal limit. Pic: David Holt

Pollution is a serious problem in Hackney, the air surrounding 98% of the borough’s main roads contains levels of harmful pollutants above the EU legal limit. Pic: David Holt

Hackney Liberal Democrats have accused Mayor Phillip Glanville of inadequate efforts in reducing air pollution immediately ahead of Thursday’s mayoral election, after recent studies revealed “staggeringly high” levels of pollution outside four Hackney schools.

Most major parties in this week’s mayoral race put improving Hackney’s air near the top of their agendas.

Pollution is a major issue for Hackney; figures released by London Assembly Member Jenny Jones show that the air surrounding 98% of the borough’s main roads contains levels of harmful pollutants above the EU legal limit.

Recent studies showed levels of the noxious gas nitrogen dioxide exceeded the EU legal limit of 40 milligrams per square metre outside St Mary’s St Mary’s C of E Primary, Princess May, Grasmere and William Patten primary schools.

EastLondonLines has sifted through the party manifestos, to discover exactly how each party plans to tackle this contentious issue.

Liberal Democrats

Candidate: Pauline Pearce, ‘A fresh start for Hackney’

Pauline Pearce, the Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate for Hackney. Pic: Hackney Lib Dems

Pauline Pearce, the Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate for Hackney. Pic: Hackney Lib Dems

“Pauline believes that a focus on a more inclusive borough for cycling and walking is key to reducing pollution”, Hackney Lib Dems told Eastlondonlines.

Key manifesto promises, aimed at cleaning up Hackney’s air:

  • Develop a ‘Hackney Cycle Network’ across entire borough
  • Create protected space for cycling on major roads including Green Lanes, Seven Sisters Road and the A10
  • Develop ‘cycling neighbourhoods’
  • Allow all-ability cycling through inclusive roadway design
  • Increase charges for parking a second or third car per household
  • Oppose cuts to local bus services
  • Improve rail services, including a push for a stopping service between Clapton and Tottenham Hale
  • Further the Streets for People scheme
  • Divest from the top 200 fossil fuel companies by 2022

To read Pearce’s full manifesto, click here.

Labour

Candidate: Philip Glanville, ‘A fairer, safer, more sustainable Hackney’

Phillip Glanville, the Labour mayoral candidate for Hackney. Pic: Hackney Labour

Phillip Glanville, the Labour mayoral candidate for Hackney. Pic: Hackney Labour

“We have a firm commitment to tackling air pollution, investing in our green space, supporting public transport and creating more livable neighbourhoods”

Key manifesto promises, aimed at cleaning up Hackney’s air:

  • Introduce at least 12 School Streets by 2022
  • Continue the school travel plan programme, cycle training and schools’ air quality monitoring
  • Encourage electric car ownership; ensuring 80% of residents are within 500m of an electric vehicle charging point by 2022, and all residents by 2025
  • Support the City Fringe Low Emission Neighbourhood and expand the Zero Emission Network
  • Reduce freight vehicles to support cycle and electric car deliveries
  • Push for building of ‘people focused neighbourhoods’ to encourage walking and cycling
  • Expand quiteway network so every resident lives within 400m of a high-quality safe cycle route
  • Ensure Seven Sisters Road improvements improve pedestrian and cycling conditions
  • Restrict vehicle traffic on Broadway Market
  • Reallocate road space from private motor vehicles and introduce pocket parks
  • Progress major junction improvement scheme at Pembury Circus
  • Support Crossrail 2
  • Improve step free access to stations
  • Secure improvements to Hackney Central Station
  • Improve bus reliability and frequency

To read Glanville’s full manifesto, click here.

The Green Party

Candidate: Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, ‘No-one left behind’

Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, Green Party mayoral candidate for Hackney. Pic: Hackney Green Party

Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, Green Party mayoral candidate for Hackney. Pic: Hackney Green Party

“We will create a bold plan to radically reduce the council’s environmental footprint”

Key manifesto promises, aimed at cleaning up Hackney’s air:

  • Push for better cycling and walking provisions
  • Develop plans to make cycling safer for families
  • Support Hackney’s low emissions
  • Bring the ‘Breathing Cities’ campaign to Hackney
  • Work to ‘achieve zero waste, lower carbon emissions and eliminate the use of harmful chemicals’
  • Divest Hackney Council from fossil fuels
  • Boost number of ‘green jobs’

To read the Hackney Green Party’s full manifesto, click here.

Or for information regarding Binnie-Lubbock specifically, click here.

The Conservative Party

Candidate: Imtiyaz Lunat, ‘Hackney needs change’

Imtiyaz Lunat, Conservative mayoral candidate for Hackney. Pic: Hackney Conservatives

Imtiyaz Lunat, Conservative mayoral candidate for Hackney. Pic: Hackney Conservatives

“Reduce pollution and improve the environment”

Key manifesto promises, aimed at cleaning up Hackney’s air:

  • Improve lighting on public footpaths
  • Improve cycle routes across Hackney
  • Impose tougher penalties for littering, fly-tipping, graffiti and dog fouling to improve pedestrian footways and encourage walking

To read more on Imtiyaz Lunat’s policies, click here.

Women’s Equality Party candidate Iyengar Harini, and Independent candidate Vernon Williams have not released specific policies on plans to reduce local pollution.

However, for a booklet providing an overview of all mayoral candidates, including policies on other subjects, click here.

Leave a Reply