The Redbridge Cycling Campaign (RCC) welcomes the aims of Redbridge Council as set out in the Redbridge Air Quality Action Plan consultation document. However, the council has to recognise that it needs to engineer a cultural shift within the council to make sure the aims are realised.

 

We share the council’s view that this is something that the council cannot tackle alone. Clearly, every individual and every organisation will need to be fully committed to the objectives of the plan.

 

RCC is already working with council officers and councillors to effect a shift in attitude and to improve cycling and walking infrastructure.

 

Air Quality in Redbridge

 

We welcome the expressed determination that the council has in tackling the atrocious levels of nitrogen dioxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) within the borough.

 

The data from the local monitoring stations show that the emission figures throughout the borough has breached legal limits and it’s vital that the new plan aims to bring emissions limits down to legal levels.

 

Our own emissions testing at Fullwell Cross Library supports the findings from the council’s testing stations around the borough that these emissions levels are out of control and it presents an immediate danger to residents’ health and children in particular.

 

National and Local Context

 

Clearly, the council understands that it needs to work with national and regional bodies in a collaborative way to achieve its aims. However, the council should also work with the RCC’s volunteers to promote the change in attitude within the borough – specifically on the practical issues of increasing walking an cycling rates and reducing the number of car journeys of less than two miles within the borough.

 

We welcome the inclusion of positive air quality initiatives as outlined in policy already agreed, but this new consultation should also provide an opportunity to consider the very latest evidence and thinking and therefore strengthen the council’s policies.

 

Key Priorities

 

We approve of the key priorities outlined in the consultation documents and look forward to their implementation in the draft action plan. However, we would add one extra key priority. This would be the following:

 

Work and collaborate with community groups and activists who support the air quality action plan to implement it.

 

Actions

 

Monitoring air quality

 

We welcome the proposal to publish more timely updates on the quality of Redbridge’s air through the London Air Quality Network website. We also approve of the plan to publish an annual report on Redbridge’s air quality.

 

Public health and awareness raising

 

The council is absolutely correct that the awareness is key to tackling the problem. However, RCC thinks that the target of having just one public health consultant who has air quality in their job profile is a weak objective. We believe, instead that all senior officials ought to be objectivised to consider air quality in all their decisions and actions.

 

However, RCC is happy that Redbridge Council plans to engage with all stakeholders. This should also include environmental, walking and cycling groups within the borough.

 

We support the council’s aims to encourage schools to promote sustainable travel and cleaner walking and cycling routes. We approve of the introduction of clean air zones around schools, including anti-idling and road closure measures during drop-off and pick-up times (School Streets).

 

Reducing Emissions from delivery servicing, freight and the council’s own transport fleet

 

The council has implemented some strong measures to reduce emissions from its own fleet and it’s contractors’ vehicles. RCC would like the council to go further and ensure all future vehicles comply with the Direct Vision (DV) standard for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) which was created to improve the safety of all road users, particularly vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. We understand this is already being phased in, but it would be appropriate that this is stated as policy within the Air Quality Action Plan.

 

The relevance of this proposed policy is that it would promote cycling and walking by making it safer for vulnerable road users. Every cycle and walking journey is potentially one less polluting car journey.

 

Implementing local solutions to improve the environment of our neighbourhoods

 

The funding that the council has received from the Mayor of London to introduce a low emission neighbourhood centred in and around Ilford Town Ward (Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme) will only succeed if all stakeholders are engaged in the Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme and its benefits. Currently, this is not the case.

 

Incentivising Cleaner Transport

 

We welcomes the implementation of Quietway 6 in Redbridge – strictly speaking a TFL initiative across a number of boroughs – but it is no substitute for proper segregated cycle lanes. It has to be noted that nowhere within Quietway 6 in Redbridge is segregated in stark contrast to Newham’s  implementation of its stretch of the scheme.

 

Conclusion

 

The council could be doing more to encourage increased walking and cycling. Although there is a commitment to improve infrastructure, the measures since the Labour group took over the council in 2014 have been too few.

 

the council should also work with RCC’s volunteers and activists to promote a change in attitude within the borough – specifically on the practical issues of increasing walking an cycling rates and reducing the number of car journeys of less than two miles within the borough. Such a partnership should be enshrined as a key priority.

 

the target of having just one public health consultant who has air quality in their job profile is a weak objective. We believe instead that all senior and middle ranking officials ought to be incentivised to consider air quality in all their decisions and actions. Many organisations have global employee objectives as part of their internal employee appraisal programme.

 

RCC would like the council to go further and ensure all future vehicles comply with the Direct Vision standard for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) which was created to improve the safety of all road users, particularly vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

 

The Ilford Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme will only succeed if everyone is engaged in the Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme and its potential benefits now.

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Written on the move. May contain errors.