London Borough of Waltham Forest Air Quality Action Plan 2018-2023 SUMMARY This Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) has been produced as part of our duty to London Local Air Quality Management. It outlines the action we will take to improve air quality in London Borough of Waltham Forest between 2018 -2023. This action plan replaces the previous evolving action plan which ran from 2002-2017. Highlights of successful projects delivered through the past action plan can be found in the Council’s previous review and assessment reports which can be found on the Council’s website: https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/content/air-quality Some notable achievements include:  Annual Car Free Days  Free cycle training for all residents, schools and businesses in the borough  Continuous implementation of a borough wide 20mph zone  The introduction of resident supported Controlled Parking Zones  Reduction of essential car users for Council workers  Anti-idling operations outside of schools with parent volunteers and Council Neighbourhood Officers  School engagement projects raising awareness via science lessons and workshops  £27 million pound investment in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure (Mini Holland scheme funded by GLA)  Roll out of new car clubs  Huge increase in schools with accredited School Travel Plans  Working with neighbouring boroughs, The GLA and Barts Health NHS Trust to deliver a multifaceted 3 year engagement project with Barts Health practitioners and at risk patients. This project has been cited by the Royal College of Physicians in their Every Breath We Take: The Lifelong Impact of Air Pollution as an excellent case study for other health organisations to take forward. (funded by GLA)  Introduction of an emission free courier service ZED Waltham Forest (Zero Emission Delivery) to local businesses and residents in the borough (Funded by GLA)  Increased monitoring network throughout the borough. Air pollution is associated with a number of adverse health impacts; it is recognised as a contributing factor in the onset of heart disease and cancer. Additionally, air pollution particularly affects the most vulnerable in society: children and older people, and those with heart and lung conditions. There is also often a strong correlation with equalities issues, because areas with poor air quality are also often the less affluent areas1,2 1 Environmental equity, air quality, socioeconomic status and respiratory health, 2010. 2 Air quality and social deprivation in the UK: an environmental inequalities analysis, 2006. The annual health cost to society of the impacts of air pollution in the UK is estimated to be roughly £15 billion3. The London Borough of Waltham Forest is committed to reducing the exposure of people in Waltham Forest to poor air quality in order to improve health. We have developed actions that can be considered under six broad topics:  Emissions from developments and buildings: emissions from buildings account for about 15% of the NOX emissions across London so are important in affecting NO2 concentrations;  Public health and awareness raising: increasing awareness can drive behavioural change to lower emissions as well as to reduce exposure to air pollution;  Delivery servicing and freight: vehicles delivering goods and services are usually light and heavy duty diesel-fuelled vehicles with high primary NO2 emissions;  Borough fleet actions: our fleet includes light and heavy duty diesel-fuelled vehicles such as mini buses and refuse collection vehicles with high primary NO2 emissions. Tackling our own fleet means we will be leading by example;  Localised solutions: these seek to improve the environment of neighbourhoods through a combination of measures; and  Cleaner transport: road transport is the main source of air pollution in London. We need to incentivise a change to walking, cycling and ultra-low emission vehicles (such as electric) as far as possible. Our air quality priorities are to manage the impact of future growth in the borough, support healthier lifestyles for residents, reduce the impact of traffic on air quality and congestion as well as reducing our own impact on air quality. You will see in this report that we have worked hard to engage with stakeholders and communities which can make a difference to air quality in the borough. We would like to thank all those who have worked with us in the past and we look forward to working with you again as well with new partners as we deliver this new action plan over the coming years. In this AQAP we outline how we plan to effectively use local levers to tackle air quality issues within our control. However, we recognise that there are a large number of air quality policy areas that are outside of our influence (such as Euro standards, national vehicle taxation policy, taxis and buses), and so we will continue to work with and lobby regional and central government on policies and issues beyond the London Borough of Waltham Forest’s influence. RESPONSIBILITIES AND COMMITMENT This AQAP was prepared by the Air Quality and Pollution Department of Waltham Forest Council with the support and agreement of the following and departments:  Asset Management  Communications  Environmental Protection  Highways  Human Resources  Legal 3 Defra. Air Pollution: Action in a Changing Climate, March 2010  Leisure and Parks  Parking and Transport Services  Planning  Planning Enforcement  Procurement  Public Health  Street Enforcement  Sustainability  Transport (Fleet Management Division)  Transport Policy  Web Team This AQAP will be subject to an annual review, appraisal of progress and reporting to the relevant Scrutiny Committee. Progress each year will be reported in the Annual Status Reports produced by the London Borough of Waltham Forest, as part of our statutory London Local Air Quality Management duties. If you have any comments on this AQAP please send them to the Air Quality and Pollution Team at: Address: Sycamore House Waltham Forest Town Hall Complex Forest Road London E17 4JF Telephone: 0208 496 3000 Email: [email protected] CONTENTS Abbreviations..........................................................................................................................................................5 Foreword Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7 1 Summary of current air quality in The London Borough of Waltham Forest...................................7 1.1 AQMAs and Focus areas...............................................................................................................9 1.2 Sources of pollution…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………10 2 The London Borough of Waltham Forest Air Quality Priorities......................................................12 3. Development and Implementation of London Borough of Waltham Forest AQAP........................................14 3.1 Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement.........................................................................14 3.2 Steering Group......................................................................................................................14 4 AQAP Progress................................................................................................................................16 Tables Table 3.1 Consultation Undertaken................................................................................................................14 Table 4.1 Action Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………17 Appendix A Consultation Response Abbreviations AQAP Air Quality Action Plan AQMA Air Quality Management Area AQO Air Quality Objective BEB Buildings Emission Benchmark CAB Cleaner Air Borough CAZ Central Activity Zone EV Electric Vehicle GLA Greater London Authority LAEI London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory LAQM Local Air Quality Management LLAQM London Local Air Quality Management NRMM Non-Road Mobile Machinery PM Particulate matter less than 10 micron in diameter 10 PM Particulate matter less than 2.5 micron in diameter 2.5 TEB Transport Emissions Benchmark TfL Transport for London Foreword by Councillor Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment When we discuss air quality in Waltham Forest more often than not visions of ‘pea-soupers’ that were regular occurrences in the first half of the 20th Century, in London and many other cities come to mind, because fundamentally we believe what we see with our own eyes. Whilst the sources of such incidents, fuel used in industry, domestic heating and rail, may have been addressed and improved since the introduction of the Clean Air Act 1956, the quality of the air we breathe today is still a huge challenge and a growing health and environmental concern. However because the poisons in our air are now largely invisible to the human eye, we find it harder to reconcile or even believe the impact our everyday actions have on its quality. Our greatest air quality challenge now arises largely from the poisons contained in vehicle emissions and it’s creating just as great a challenge to our health as the ‘pea- soupers’ did of old. Poor air quality affects the lives of the most vulnerable people in our society: our children and older people. Pollutants impact on lung development and cause significant respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, reducing quality of life, mobility and ultimately, premature death. Although the powers and resources to improve air quality largely sit with and should come from central government, we must do what we can at a local and regional level working together with our residents, partners and business, to help to improve air quality and we must act now. Simply making some minor changes walking or cycling more, especially for those short journeys, using public transport, joining a car club, sharing cars and using low emission vehicles, can really help to reduce the poisonous emissions that we create, thereby improving air quality and protecting our most vulnerable residents, and ourselves. Waltham Forest Council is already working to improve air quality by redesigning our streets to include more greenery and encourage safer, more active modes of travel, as well as placing requirements on builders to construct more sustainable developments. This updated Air Quality Action Plan sets out the actions we want to take alongside our residents, businesses and partners to improve the air that we breathe. It is my hope that everyone who reads this will be motivated to get involved and do what they can to improve the air we breathe, in many instances, by making some very minor adjustments in daily routines. As I write there are some starting to suggest that as it has taken London a month to exceed its annual emissions target in 2018, as opposed to the usual week or so, emerging policies are starting to have an impact. However with more than 9,400 Londoners dying prematurely every year as a consequence of poor air quality and the growing body of evidence about how inaction will cost our health services as well as the environment; it is clear we need to work harder, together, to deliver the real change that makes a real difference to the air we breathe. Doing nothing is simply not an option! Introduction This report outlines the actions that The London Borough of Waltham Forest will deliver between 2018-2023 in order to reduce concentrations of pollution, and exposure to pollution; thereby positively impacting on the health and quality of life of residents and visitors to the borough. It has been developed in recognition of the legal requirement on the local authority to work towards air quality objectives under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 and relevant regulations made under that part and to meet the requirements of the London Local Air Quality Management statutory process4. 1 Summary of current air quality in The London Borough of Waltham Forest The UK Air Quality Strategy (AQS), released in July 2007, provides the overarching strategic framework for air quality management in the UK and contains national air quality standards and objectives established by the Government to protect human health. The AQS objectives take into account EU Directives that set limit values which member states are legally required to achieve by their target dates. The London Borough of Waltham Forest is meeting all of the national AQS objectives other than for the gas Nitrogen Dioxide (NO ). The London Borough of Waltham Forest is meeting the current 2 objectives for Particulate Matter (PM and PM ) but as this pollutant is damaging to health at any 10 2.5 level, this remains a pollutant of concern and as such our AQMA designation remains in place for both NO and PM . 2 10 As seen from figures 1, 2 and 3, pollution levels are highest on the main roads. This is because vehicle emissions continue to be the primary pollution source in Waltham Forest, in particular, the North Circular and A12. These roads cut through the borough and experience the highest pollution concentrations. The control of these roads fall under the remit of TfL/GLA, thus the council has restricted power to effect change. 4 LLAQM Policy and Technical Guidance. https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and- air-quality/working-boroughs Figure 1 Modelled map of annual mean NO concentrations (from the LAEI 2013) 2 Figure 2 Modelled map of annual mean PM (from the LAEI 2013) 10 Figure 3 Modelled map of annual mean PM (from the LAEI 2013) 2.5 1.1 AQMAs and Focus areas In the London Borough of Waltham Forest, a borough wide Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) has been declared. The AQMA has been declared for the following pollutants:  NO because we are failing to meet the EU annual and hourly mean average limit values for 2 this pollutant at roadside and kerbside locations.  PM because although we are meeting EU limits for this pollutant, we are exceeding World 10 Health Organisation air quality guideline for this pollutant, as no wholly safe level has been identified. Additionally, we have a formal responsibility to work towards reductions of PM 2.5, which is a fraction of PM 10. An air quality Focus Area is a location that has been identified as having high levels of pollution and human exposure. There are 13 focus areas in the borough. These are: 1. Sewardstone Rd & Kings Head Hill 2. Billet Round About, Chingford Rd, Billet Rd 3. Hall Lane & North Circular 4. Southend Rd, Woodford New Rd 5. Forest Rd, Blackhorse Rd, Blackhorse Lane 6. Forest Rd & Wood St 7. Lea Bridge Rd 8. Whipps Cross Rd & Lea Bridge Rd 9. Lea Bridge Rd & Markhouse Rd 10. Hoe St 11. Hoe St & Selborne Rd 12. Green Man Round About, Leytonstone High Rd, Gainsborough Rd 13. Leyton High Rd, Warren Rd, Ruckholt Rd 1.2 Sources of Pollution in the London Borough of Waltham Forest Pollution in the borough comes from a variety of sources. This includes pollution from sources outside of the borough, and, in the case of particulate matter, a significant proportion of this comes from outside of London and even the UK. Of the pollution that originates in the borough, the main sources of NO are from motorised vehicles 2 and domestic & commercial boilers. The main sources of particulate matter are from diesel vehicles, non-road mobile machinery, and domestic & commercial boilers as seen in figures 4, 5 and 6 below. Figure 4 Projected sources of NOx Emissions in Waltham Forest (from the 2013 LAEI)