GLA air quality monitors still closed as Silvertown tunnel prepares to open
Transport for London has assured residents that the GLA will monitor dangerous PM2.5 pollution when the tunnel opens. But the GLA's Breathe London monitors are closed.
One of the biggest concerns about the Silvertown tunnel is that the additional traffic that it will bring into Newham and Greenwich will increase air pollution, harming the health of those living in the area.
Up to 30,000 vehicles a day are expected to use the tunnel. The councils on both sides of the river see signs that it will be particularly used by HGVs.
Transport for London (Tfl) is monitoring and reporting on the pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the areas around the tunnel. NO2 is particularly damaging to respiratory health.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is highly dangerous
But evidence has grown that another pollutant, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), is highly dangerous. PM2.5 can cause premature death and chronic illnesses, including heart disease, strokes and dementia.
It travels around the body in the bloodstream, damaging every organ, including the heart and the brain.
Campaigners have lobbied Tfl to include PM2.5 in their monitoring. Tfl confirmed in February that it is expecting the Greater London Authority (GLA) to monitor PM2.5 on Tfl's behalf.
The GLA provide monitors to councils under its Breathe London programme, which started in 2019.
GLA's Breathe London monitors closed since 14 December
However, Salamander News found that the GLA's Breathe London monitors in the area of the tunnel have been closed since 14th December, due to a change in supplier.
Without this data, the tunnel will open on 7th April with an incomplete picture of local air pollution.
A Tfl spokesperson said: "Due to a change in contractor, some ‘Breathe London’ monitoring sites, including one sensor in Newham close to the northern Silvertown Tunnel approach road, were temporarily not recording data while the systems were transferred, but are now back online and recording data.”
We checked this statement and found that Breathe London and other public sites for viewing air quality data are still showing the monitors to be closed. At present, the public cannot view the data or verify that it is being recorded.
Updated on 2nd April 13.10 following statement from Tfl.
Update 10 April 11.00 The Silvertown Way monitor has reappeared on the Breathe London public site. The three Breathe London monitors on the Greenwich approach to the tunnel are still showing as closed.
