Increase measurements of air polluting and health damaging particulates
Our government recognises air pollution as “a major health
risk, ranking alongside cancer, heart disease and obesity. It
shortens lives and damages quality of life.”. RBWM
acknowledges the health damage caused by air pollution too, but it
isn’t taking effective action to tackle it.
There are five Air Quality Measurement Areas in the Borough, where
air pollution is acknowledged as a problem. There are National Air
Quality Objectives for THIRTEEN different pollutants but RBMW
measures only two of them and models levels of one other.
RBWM claims that it already meets National Air Quality Objectives
for NO2 and PM10 particulates which should have been met in 2004.
However, Borough Local Plan Inspector, Louise Phillips, suggested
that objectives are NOT BEING MET when she stated “Policy EP2
concerns air pollution and, in relation to legal compliance, I
concluded that the nationally set standards for the relevant
pollutants would be met by 2033.”. That would be a very long
time to wait for clean air!
RBWM measures PM10 particulates only at Frascati Way in Maidenhead
but claims that it is “a good indicator for the whole
Borough.”
Moreover, RBWM's Air Quality Annual Status Report 2021 recognises
that smaller PM2.5 particulates can cause "...significant impact on
human health, including premature mortality, allergic reactions,
and cardiovascular diseases" , however there is not a single PM2.5
monitor anywhere in the Borough, and "estimates" are derived from
the single PM10 monitor.
https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2021-10/eh_air_quality_annual_report_2021.pdf
Residents therefore cannot possibly know the TRUE extent of
particulates pollution.
Devices that monitor all sizes of particulate are available, for
example:
In September 2021 the World Health Organisation issued new
Global Air Quality Guidelines, which recommend much lower limits
for particulates.
The Borough’s draft Corporate Plan commits to prioritise
actions to “promote health and wellbeing” and the
Borough’s Environment & Climate Strategy pledges to
improve air quality.
RBWM’s approved Borough Local Plan commits to building 15,948
new homes, including 2,600 on the green belt land of Maidenhead
golf course. Trees and vegetation help to improve air quality, but
building on the golf course will remove that vital green
lung.
Increased road traffic created by the cars of thousands more
residents, as well as 10 years of major construction traffic, will
make air pollution much worse than it is now. Without proper air
pollution measurements, RBWM cannot take appropriate action to
improve air quality, and protect the health of the residents it
serves.
Started by: Thomas Wigley
This ePetition ran from 08/03/2022 to 08/09/2022 and has now finished.
2151 people signed this ePetition.