Campaigners demand action at Old Street's toxic roundabout

11.50.02am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 24th May 2009

Bridget Fox and Mike Tuffrey: demanding cleaner air at Old Street

A new report from the Government has revealed that Old Street Roundabout has some of the most polluted air in the whole of the UK , and breaks EU air quality regulations. Local Liberal Democrats were on the streets this week demanding that Mayor Johnson and the Government take action to give local residents clean air.

Old Street Roundabout has some of the highest levels of dangerous air pollution in the country, with heavy concentrations of tiny particles responsible for illnesses. The Government department for the Environment (DEFRA) has reported that it is one of the worst parts of London where European Union air quality regulations are still being broken.

Diesel engines in vans and taxis are the main cause of this dangerous particulate pollution. Diesel fumes cause lung and heart diseases, and worsen conditions like diabetes. A recent report from the European Environment Agency said that nearly 3000 people in London die early each year due to these dangerous airborne particles.

Boris Johnson has been slammed for scrapping phase three of the Low Emissions Zone, which would have forced vans, taxis and minibuses to reduce their pollution. Liberal Democrat proposals to keep the scheme going ahead by providing help to small businesses to meet the costs of reducing the pollution from their vehicles were ignored by the Mayor.

Local Lib Dem councillor Ruth Polling said:

"Local people around Old Street are the ones who suffer from breathing toxic air, including the pupils from Central Foundation School just yards from the roundabout.

"It was terrible that Boris so quickly decided to axe the next stage of the Low Emissions Zone rather than supporting small businesses switch to the most efficient diesel engines or cleaner vehicles.

"Those of us living at Old Street have been let down."

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Bridget Fox added:

"The European Union sets legally binding air quality limits. The British Government has consistently failed to meet these standards, and places like the Old Street roundabout are still unacceptably polluted. Boris Johnson has shown no commitment to reducing dangerous pollution around busy roads, but we also need a Government which takes issues like the air we breathe far more seriously."