Neighbourhood news, features, and comment
The department of environment is forecasting high air pollution over inner London today. Defra says "light winds and areas of fog in the south may inhibit dispersal of locally-generated pollution and lead to areas of High air pollution". Air pollution is predicted to drop on Tuesday but rise again to moderate levels on Wednesday. The …
Continue reading "High air pollution forecast for inner London"
Westminster council wants people to help it improve air quality by reporting drivers running their engines when parked but hasn’t got a clue where the worst offenders are located, according to a Freedom of Information request made by a Fitzrovia resident. Yet despite what the FOI response revealed the council maintains it does keep a …
Continue reading "Westminster council has a problem with air pollution and FOI requests"
The health of hundreds of residents in a council block in Fitzrovia is being put at risk because their street has been left out of the Mayor of London's new Ultra Low Emission Zone and will have increased motor traffic from a new road scheme designed by Camden Council. Residents living at 30-40 Grafton Way …
Last week's news in the Evening Standard about cars, taxis and lorries being banned from Tottenham Court Road in three months' time (sic) brought jeers from drivers and cheers from active transport campaigners. But the Standard's story was so full of errors that it failed to describe what is actually happening. Cabbies may be pleasantly surprised …
Continue reading "Cars, taxis and lorries are not being banned from Tottenham Court Road"
An exhibition of plans to re-shape the 'Oxford Street District' will be held this weekend at the building formerly known as the Fitzrovia Community Centre. Westminster council is asking local residents and people who work or visit the area what they think of their £150m strategy to "improve" the environment of the shopping street and …
Continue reading "Westminster council seeks local views on ‘Oxford Street District’ plans"
By Griff Rhys Jones There are big plans for Oxford Street in the offing. You may already know of them and they are certainly going to affect the residents who live around that retail artery. There was a consultation with Transport for London, but it appears that they put up the “wrong address” on their …
Continue reading "If we don’t care for our own backyard then nobody else is likely to"
The Times newspaper says that "Drivers of petrol and diesel cars will face higher charges to use private car parks under a plan to tackle pollution". The article by transport correspondent Graeme Paton goes on to say that car park operator CitiPark will "impose a levy on all but the most fuel-efficient vehicles as part …
Recording of the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in Fitzrovia's streets will start in August as part of a borough-wide project funded by Camden council. Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association will be run the project for six months recording NO2 levels at four sites in the Camden part of Fitzrovia. The work will be done by volunteers. …
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A 50 percent surcharge will apply to drivers of pre-2015 diesel vehicles paying to park in Fitzrovia, Marylebone and Hyde Park zones from today (Monday 26 June 2017) as part of Westminster council's Low Emission Neighbourhood initiative. The hourly charge for pre-2015 diesel vehicles will be £7.35 and all other vehicles will continue to be …
Continue reading "Diesel parking charges increase in Fitzrovia, Marylebone and Hyde Park zones"
A Fitzrovia charity has called on the Mayor of London to take tougher action to combat air pollution in central London by restricting motor vehicles on high pollution days. The Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association, which campaigns on behalf of the 8,000 residents in the central London district, says "the Mayor must restrict motor traffic movement in …
Continue reading "Fitzrovia charity calls for tough action on air pollution in central London"
More than half of London’s NHS hospitals and health centres are smothered in air pollution that is above legal limits, says a new report published by King’s College London and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change. The report states that University College Hospital in Fitzrovia is surrounded by air that is double the legal …
Continue reading "Most London hospitals are smothered in illegally high levels of air pollution"
Residents in the neighbourhoods around Oxford Street and the campaign group Living Streets now stand facing each other in the first battle over how surface transport should serve London's busiest shopping street. In an email sent out by Living Streets the campaign group tells its members: "At Living Streets we were delighted when the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, …
Continue reading "Solving London’s air pollution hotspots requires action over a wide area"
Community groups from the four districts surrounding Oxford Street are calling on residents to oppose pedestrianisation of the shopping street by responding to a consultation saying they do not support the plans. The collection of associations in Fitzrovia, Marylebone, Mayfair and Soho say the joint consultation by Transport for London and Westminster City Council is designed in …
Continue reading "Neighbourhood groups say no to Oxford Street ‘transformation’ plans"
The pollution episode across London is due to continue albeit at a slightly lower level until later this week, reports King's College London. "The long period of cold settled conditions has allowed pollution to build over several days and with no significant change in conditions. Widespread 'high' particulate pollution is expected on Wednesday with an …
Continue reading "Pollution continues as people experience breathing difficulties and sore eyes"
Representatives of people living in the West End have backed Sadiq Khan's plans to improve air quality but have again stressed their opposition to pedestrianisation of Oxford Street. Transport for London (TfL) carried out a public consultation on a vehicle emissions surcharge and for improving the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). "We are happy to confirm our …
Continue reading "Residents support clean air plans but oppose Oxford Street closure"
