Agenda item

To receive a report on Air Quality in Westminster. Expert independent witnesses have also been invited to present on this agenda item.

4.1.      The Committee received a report from Ceridwen John, Head of Environment Policy and Projects, and Adam Webber, Principal Policy Officer, on air quality in Westminster.

4.2.      The Committee welcomed three expert witnesses: Professor Frank Kelly of Imperial College London; Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air London; and Rob Day, from the air quality policy team at Asthma UK.

4.3.      The Committee was informed of the two major pollutants that made up poor air quality: Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5).

4.4.      The Committee discussed the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the effects that the national lockdowns had had on air quality in Westminster. It was noted that while levels of NO2 decreased over the course of the national lockdowns, levels of PM2.5 did not.

4.5.      The Committee agreed that while outdoor air quality should continue to be a priority for the Council, indoor air quality should not be ignored. During the lockdowns, residents cooked more frequently at home. Cooking can produce PM2.5.

4.6.      The Committee was provided with information around the clear link between air quality and public health. Evidence indicates that morbidity, as well as rates of dementia, birth weights, and respiratory and cardiovascular implications are all results of living with poor air quality.

4.7.      The Committee noted the tragic death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah. The Coroner’s report listed one of the causes of her untimely death as living with poor air quality. The Committee welcomed the knowledge that this fact was beginning to shift the attitudes of authorities to prioritise this matter.

4.8.      The Committee agreed that the promotion and encouragement of active transport, cycling, electric vehicles and e-scooters within Westminster should remain a top priority. While great strides had been taken by the Council in promoting greener transport, more could and should be done and targets should be more ambitious. The Committee welcomed the suggestion that Council promotion of these modes of transportation should be positive in nature, rather than scolding of those who do not choose them.

4.9.      The Committee discussed the Code of Construction Practice and how it applied to construction and refurbishment in Westminster. The consideration of air quality as a key component of construction was noted as necessary. The Committee considered the matter of refurbishment of buildings in Westminster, even those which are currently Listed and so must be preserved in keeping with their original architecture and build quality; it was agreed that finding ways to improve upon the energy efficiency of these buildings, for example by implementing double or triple glazing on windows, should be explored.

4.10.    The Committee discussed the recent change to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on acceptable air quality, which are much more stringent than both previous WHO guidelines and also existing national limits. The Committee accepted that these new guidelines, while not currently legally binding, should be considered morally binding, and should be treated as a minimum requirement for safe air quality. The crux of the discussion was that in essence, no level of pollutants in air is safe.