Managing air quality

Our air quality improvement strategy and action plan (PDF, 6.6MB) aims to:

• reduce emissions from motorised vehicles
• reduce emissions from existing fixed sources
• reduce emissions from new developments
• protect public health by monitoring air quality

So far, we have:

• made Southwark an Air Quality Management Area to meet national standards
• banned engine idling
• helped schools to combat air pollution through the London air quality audit
• installed extra electric car charge points
• brought schools together to talk about air quality
• added more electric vehicles to our fleet
• introduced a 20mph speed limit on every road that Southwark Council controls
• supported a low emission walking route around Bankside and London Bridge
• introduced a low emission business neighbourhood on Borough High Street
• introduced a low emission neighbourhood in Walworth
• launched the School Streets campaign closing roads outside schools at pick-up and drop off times
• introduced 'green' council vehicles running on either natural gas or electricity
• delivered the Cleaner air 4 schools toolkit helping schools with green travel plans
• tested the use of dust suppressants on construction sites (PDF, 1.9MB) and Nitrogen Dioxide reducing reactive surface coatings on new developments (PDF, 2.1MB)
• supported the Cross River Partnership’s Clean air better business programme (PDF, 6MB) to reduce emissions and toxic air pollution

You can also read about:

• our local plan
• our biodiversity action plan
• our streets for people project
• our open space strategy (PDF, 7.2MB)
• how we manage trees
• public register of notices requiring information about air pollution (PDF, 91KB)