Richmond Draft Air Quality Action Plan Consultation

Overview

The London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames remains committed to reducing the sources and health impacts of air pollution, which is the third leading cause of ill-health in our borough. We have drafted a new Air Quality Action Plan that builds on our previous work and emphasises the importance of clean air.

We are conducting a consultation to seek views from partners, public organisations, residents, businesses, and visitors to the borough.

This strategy prioritises key locations and groups of people. We focus on locations where pollution levels are highest, where public exposure is most significant, or where vulnerable populations are at risk. By concentrating our efforts on these priority areas, we aim to achieve maximum impact while also generating broader benefits across the borough.

Our plan strives for the most ambitious targets in the UK, ones we feel are achievable throughout the duration of the plan.

We aim to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) 20µg/m³ target for annual average Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) and the WHO and Mayor of London target of 10µg/m³ for annual average fine Particulate Matter (PM_2.5).

The plan also aims to be balanced and realistic in its approach. We support the transition to electric vehicles to help reduce emissions from combustion engines and we need to reduce traffic congestion in key locations to reduce exposure to pollution and improve health by making our town centres and roads welcoming for all users.  

The borough still has significant vehicle idling issues, so we will look towards using PSPO’s to arm our officers with the powers that they need to tackle this problem.

Our plan is divided into several sections. The first explains the reasoning behind our strategy, the second describes the priority locations and groups, and the third section describes the types of action we will apply. Supporting evidence is provided in the Appendices, along with the detailed table of actions and performance indicators.

Please read the draft Air Quality Action Plan here or below before completing the survey. Alternatively, you can find a guide to the plan here which briefly explains most of its elements.

Have your say

We want to hear your views on the draft Action Plan. You can access this consultation by clicking the online survey link below. If you would like a paper copy or another format please contact consultation@richmond.gov.uk or call 020 8891 1411.

What happens next

All feedback will be considered before finalising the Action Plan.

What happens next

The London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames is committed to reducing the health impacts of air pollution, which remains the third leading cause of ill-health in the borough. We have drafted a new Air Quality Action Plan that builds on our previous work and emphasizes the importance of clean air.

We are conducting a 12-week consultation to gather input from partners, public organizations, residents, businesses, and visitors. We particularly seek engagement from key resident groups to improve the plan and address this issue collaboratively.

Please read the Air Quality Action Plan here or below before completing the survey.

About the plan

The plan is divided into several sections. The first explains the reasoning behind our strategy, the second describes the priority locations and groups, and the third section describes the types of action we will apply. Supporting evidence is provided in the Appendices, along with the detailed table of actions and performance indicators.

Please find a guide to the Action Plan here, which briefly explains most of its elements.

The measures are set out into a number of themes including:

Prioritization of Key Locations and Groups:

• Focus on locations with highest pollution levels, significant public exposure, or vulnerable populations at risk.
• Aim to achieve maximum impact and broader benefits across the borough.
• Prioritize groups most vulnerable to air pollution, including:
• Children (early exposure can have lifelong health consequences).
• Older individuals and those with pre-existing health conditions

Ambitious and Achievable Targets:

• Align targets with international standards.

Balanced and Realistic Approach:

• Reducing emissions on transport through electrification.
• Reducing congestion at key locations.
• Making town centres and roads more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly.
• Reducing vehicle-kilometres from deliveries.

Have your say

You can access this consultation by clicking the online survey link below. If you would like a paper copy or another format please contact consult@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk or call 020 8891 1411.

What happens next

All views will be considered before deciding on next steps.