Revealed: top Tories' constituencies suffer blight of toxic air

Results: engineer Lewis John taking air quality measurements in Maidenhead
Alex Lentati

Toxic air that breaches the EU legal limit is blighting the constituencies of Theresa May and at least five other Cabinet ministers, an Evening Standard investigation reveals today.

Communities represented by the Prime Minister, Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, Chancellor Philip Hammond, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Education Secretary Justine Greening all have blackspots of filthy air, according to latest figures.

An analysis of data from experts at King’s College London and local councils shows all these areas recorded readings last year above the average annual EU limit of 40 micrograms of nitrogen dioxide per cubic metre of air (40μg/m3), which has been imposed to protect public health.

The Standard also hired a ToxicAirTracker — a pollution-monitoring van from Enviro Technology Services, to tour seats held by Cabinet ministers before Parliament was dissolved and they ceased being MPs.

On the day, air pollution was officially low. But even then, spikes of over 100μg/m3 were found in the towns of Maidenhead (Mrs May), Addlestone (Mr Hammond), Epsom (Mr Grayling) and near Uxbridge (Mr Johnson).

A pollution spike of  over 100μg/m3 was recorded in Theresa May's Maidenhead consistuency 
PA

Scientists say brief peaks in NO2, which are significantly linked to traffic fumes, particularly diesel, are not individually a threat to health.

However, the cumulative effect of such spikes is to push toxic air levels in the capital and many other parts of Britain above the EU limit. The Standard investigation found:

In Mrs May’s Maidenhead constituency, an average nitrogen dioxide level of 43μg/m3 was recorded last year in Frascati Way in the town centre.

London Pollution - In pictures

1/15

So far this year the average is 41μg/m3, according to provisional figures from King’s College. The ToxicAirTracker found a peak of 112μg/m3 in morning rush-hour on April 28 near a bus station.

In Mr Grayling’s Epsom and Ewell seat, average NO2 at the roadside in Epsom High Street last year was just under 46μg/m3, according to council figures. The ToxicAirTracker detected a peak of 162 outside a community centre on the High Street just before 5pm.

The constituency of Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom is in a pollution blackspot
REUTERS

In Ms Leadsom’s South Northamptonshire seat, the A5 Watling Street in Towcester town centre recorded an average of up to 45.6μg/m3 in 2016.

In Addlestone’s air quality management area — part of Mr Hammond’s Runnymede and Weybridge constituency — one average reading was 45.1 for 2016, according to the council. The ToxicAirTracker recorded a one-day peak of 164 shortly after 3.30pm on Church Road.

In Uxbridge and South Ruislip, the seat of ex-Mayor Mr Johnson, an average reading of 44 was recorded last year on West End Road, just up from the Polish War Memorial at the A40. The ToxicAirTracker picked up a reading on West End Road of 108 at 9.25am.

Putney High Street, in Ms Greening’s constituency, has one average reading of 71 so far this year and was 110 last year. In Upper Richmond Road a peak reading was made of 59 shortly after midday by the ToxicAirTracker.

The findings were published just days after the Government’s draft air quality plan, which was widely criticised as being inadequate to deal with Britain’s toxic pollution scandal — which is blamed for a death toll of 9,000 a year in London alone.

Jonathan Grigg, professor of paediatric respiratory and environmental medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said: “Cabinet ministers need to make sure the Government cleans up toxic air in their own backyards as well as in town and cities across Britain.

“Their air quality plan was deeply disappointing, passing responsibility for this national problem to local authorities, which has failed dismally in the past.”

Scientific engineer Lewis John, who carried out the study by Enviro Technology Services, said: “These are only brief snapshots of air pollution, but we observed spikes of over 100μg/m3 in several locations.

“These findings could benefit from further investigation.”

Pollution would be expected to be higher in the road itself than on pavements or nearby, where many monitors are located.

The EU annual average legal limit of 40μg/m3 also does not apply to roadways, and direct comparisons can not be made between static and mobile monitoring.

However, studies have shown motorists can be exposed to filthy air as fumes filter in from vehicles in front.

A Conservative spokesman said: “While significant improvements have been made, and UK emissions of toxic nitrogen oxides fell by almost 20 per cent between 2010 and 2015, we know that poor air quality is the largest environmental threat to public health in the UK.

“The failure of European emission regulations, coupled with poor advice in promoting diesel cars from the previous Labour Government — advice they now admit was mistaken — has left our air more polluted than it should be.”

The air quality plan included “deliverable, targeted” local action to tackle emissions, he added. Councils in the Cabinet ministers’ constituencies are acting to tackle air pollution.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT