Breathable air in Walthamstow

Written By: - Date published: 2:40 am, September 9th, 2023 - 5 comments
Categories: climate change, global warming, quality of life, sustainability, transport - Tags:

Back with family in London after Covid’s four years, much has changed. Most notably, the air in Walthamstow is breathable. Thanks to Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan’s emission zone tax, the change is remarkable.

Boris Johnson initiated the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) tax in 2019 and Sadiq Khan extended it to the inner ring road near Walthamstow in 2021. A recent report on the scheme stated:

Major new report shows that harmful pollution emissions have reduced by 26 per cent within the expanded ULEZ area – compared with what they would have been without the ULEZ coming into force. Report shows that the ULEZ has reduced harmful pollution levels in central London by nearly half compared to what they would have been without the ULEZ.

In inner London, pollution levels are 21 per cent lower than they would have been without the ULEZ. Each day, 74,000 fewer polluting vehicles are seen driving in the zone, a cut of 60 per cent since expansion in October 2021.

Thanks to the ULEZ expansion to inner London, over four million people now breathe cleaner air, including children in 1,362 schools.

The Mayor has announced that the scheme will now be extended to outler London boroughs, but the expansion has proved controversial.

Now Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has weighed in after the ULEZ tax was blamed for Labor not competing a sweep of bye-election wins recently. He is “for clean air,” make no mistake about it, he says, but not this way and not yet. He is the heir of Margaret Thatcher’s greatest achievement, having just elevated some more Blairites to his shadow cabinet.

Another report quotes Khan as “a doer not a delayer,” and says the contorversy will ruin his chances of ever becoming Labour Leader.

It has shown a side of the Mayor which is unusual in cautious Labour these days – a readiness to polarise when he believes he is in the right. The guts not to give in to arm-twisting from his party HQ. Khan has, after all, been the Labour figure riding the wave of rejoining the EU and re-introducing free movement. Meanwhile, Starmer has rowed fast in the opposite direction: downplaying his Remain credentials and wary of being portrayed as an enthusiastic apostle of immigration.

As for Sir Keir

Starmerworld has its iron modus operandi and rule number one is to play down differences over emotive issues: like how far to push on green targets and wealth taxes, which thrill many on the Left but alarm prosperous voters.

I and my family are grateful for one Labour leader who has actually achieved a real and positive change. The London air is better than I have ever known it. I lived in England for three or four years in the 1960s as well.

 

5 comments on “Breathable air in Walthamstow ”

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  1. francesca 1
    9 September 2023 at 4:50 pm

    Been enjoying the Fabian society talks Mike

    Thanks for your efforts,a breath of fresh air

    (like Walthamstow)

  2. Shanreagh 2
    9 September 2023 at 6:46 pm

    Walthamstow is lucky that the planned for aim is that the air is breathable long term. Wellington is a breezy city and usually good air quality but even so during the restrictions of Covid we improved on our air quality ……briefly.

    https://gwrc.govt.nz/document/19621/an-analysis-of-the-impact-of-covid-19-restrictions-on-air-quality-in-the-wellington-region

    Would a greater uptake of electric vehicle make a difference too? Have you noticed more electric vehicles there since you last visited?

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 2.1
      10 September 2023 at 12:45 pm

      Hi Shanreagh. re "Wellington..is a breezy city" Hmm is that Wellington understatement/sang-froid ? As in…We say : Otago can be chilly..: )

      But yea can remember seeing the amazing clips of smog…gone in Wellington, Auckland, ChCh and Dunedin.

      And of course London and Cities, Planet wide…

      Public Transport could help so much.

      The Possible. It all is.

      On similar..Was there much movement on restoring the City Waterways…and making Greenspaces..to bring more Biodiversity into City?

  3. PsyclingLeft.Always 3
    10 September 2023 at 12:42 pm

    Hi there..over in London. With more Breathable Air ! I follow some of this..and I also cycle ..quite a lot : )

    There seems a continuous battle to recognise that Cyclists achieve much. Both to remove vehicles from congested streets..and majorly reduce vehicle pollution. Could be so much more !

    Have you seen much on this ?

    Also is there much on restoring London City Waterways? Ie clean water above ground, instead of pipes.

    And bringing Green Biodiverse areas back..even if small ? (got to start somewhere?)

  4. Anker 4
    10 September 2023 at 2:00 pm

    https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/08/30/its-not-a-conspiracy-theory-there-really-is-a-war-on-the-car/

    An alternative view on this. O'Neil points out that it is the poor who can afford to upgrade their vechile who will be punished when the cost of living crisis is biteing hard.
    “Let’s be clear about what the rollout of ULEZ represents: it’s an entirely regressive tax that will punish the poor most severely. It is an eco-toll that will have little impact on the wealthy of Greater London who drive ‘polluting’ vehicles, for whom £12.50 is small fry, or who can afford a brand new EV and are exempt from the charge. But it will devastate the freedom of movement of the less well-off who drive old cars. This is a cruel levy enforced by an out-of-touch mayor on a citizenry already struggling to make ends meet.”

    12 pounds 50 p every day they use their carss.

    Is the air really that bad unbreathable? Before the clean air act in the 1950s hell yes! and in the 70's too I hear.

    I lived there in the 80s and it wasn't much of a problem them. Have returned to Londonin 2004 and 2019 the air seemed fine. Obviously the less poluted air the better, but there are consequences to what Khan is driving through

    Does anyone on this website care about the working class anymore?