Council asks everybody to help to clean Southwark’s air
7 May 2019
Southwark Council is looking to the people who live, work, study and visit the borough to help clean Southwark’s air. You may have seen the council’s new campaign on buses and billboards around the borough. It asks that people pledge to make one change to help improve air quality, together.
Tower Bridge School helped to launch the campaign by inviting Cllr Richard Livingstone, Cabinet Member for environment, transport management and air quality, to see their brand new green screen: a wall of ivy and other plants. The council helped fund the green screen which was fitted during the Easter break, it’s fully grown and protects the playground, where the children do their daily mile every morning, play sports and enjoy playtime, so it is an important space for the school.
The council is asking everybody in Southwark to join in and pledge to do one thing to help improve Southwark’s air, it suggests:
- Choose Click and Collect – using collection points for online shopping helps to cut traffic congestion and air pollution caused by lots of deliveries being driven to many home and work addresses
- Leave the car at home – in London, it’s quicker to walk any distance that’s under a mile and it’s quicker to cycle distances less than 5 miles, both of which will keep you healthier longer
- Turn off your engine – needlessly keeping your engine running pollutes roads, schools and children’s lungs. Help create a healthier environment for everyone and switch yours off
Cllr Livingstone said: “We are committed to combatting London’s air quality crisis and working hard to address the problem across the council. Our people in schools, streets, events, construction, biodiversity and many more areas, are all making changes to help clean Southwark’s air. We’ve had huge support from many people across the borough already, but now we are asking everyone to join us and pledge to do one thing to help improve air quality here in Southwark.”
Children from Tower Bridge and Snowsfields schools showed Councillor Livingstone their new bug box, which is embedded in the green screen, and students, Akilah and Zaki, told the councillor about the importance of oxygen and clean air when you’re playing sports, they explained how the green screen is important for cleaning the air, especially for children with Asthma.
The school’s science lead, Richard Welsh, explained how the school is doing everything from introducing the idea of air quality to younger children, to holding debates on the subject with those in the upper year groups. Laura Neuveglise, the deputy head, highlighted the herbs and strawberries that they’d planted with the new ivy screen and explained how, with these and other vegetables planted at the school, they’d be teaching the children that they can grow some of their dinners.
In addition to funding green screens and planting, the council is also busy rolling out a programme of School Streets road closures, these are designed to improve air quality and road safety for school children by closing roads outside schools at drop off and pick up times. The council has also banned engine idling and is installing electric vehicle charge points for residents.
Page last updated: 07 May 2019
