As concerns grow about the damaging impact of air pollution on our health, QPARA has been meeting with other residents’ associations and community groups, mostly in south Brent, to look at ways of improving local air quality. This follows air pollution monitoring by QPARA along Salusbury Road last August and October, which showed average levels of toxic NO2 along the main road in excess of the legal annual mean. Readings on side streets were slightly lower, highlighting the link between air pollution and diesel vehicle emissions.
Clean Air for Brent, the group of local bodies, including QPARA, wrote to Brent MPs on 5th April asking them to endorse a letter to the Prime Minister and the Environment Secretary.
Clean Air for Brent are engaging with Brent Council on a revised Air Quality Action Plan and an anti-idling campaign involving schools. The Mayor of London is also implementing a package of measures to tackle air pollution, including new Low Emission Bus Zones. Queen’s Park is not one of them, but we will benefit from cleaner buses along Chamberlayne Road from 2018 as a result of the Edgware Road being designated a Low Emission Bus Zone.
In the meantime, we can all do much more to reduce pollution by driving less, switching away from diesel to cleaner hybrid vehicles, and not leaving engines running when stationary.