Heathrow consultation, our response

11 September 2019
Dear Sir/Madam

As a group which is concerned about air pollution and the poor quality of our air locally in Brentford we object to the proposal to expand Heathrow Airport by adding a 3rd runway. The main impact of increasing the current flights by 700 more planes a day will negatively affect over 650,000 people in West London with a vast increase in greenhouse gas emissions and significant ‘noise change’. In addition, the increased quantity of surface traffic as a result of a further runway would significantly increase traffic running through Brentford which, being a major arterial route for London is already highly congested with traffic running through residential areas.

A Climate Change Emergency has been declared in the UK and worldwide, there is a necessity to decrease the use of airport transport rather than an increase in levels. We need to decrease our use of fossil fuel with the detrimental impact its emissions have on human health, both locally in terms of Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulates and on a wider level in terms of Carbon Dioxide which is affecting global climate change.

Airplanes emit particles and gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, hydrocarbonscarbon monoxidenitrogen oxidessulfur oxideslead, and black carbon, and the proposed escalation in air plane usage in the skies over West London is highly unacceptable.

DEFRA refer to research showing that both particulates and nitrogen oxides can travel downwind for a very substantial distance (up to 40 kilometres). The Air Quality Expert Group of DEFRA say in their report of 2018 entitled “Ultrafine Particles (UFP) in the UK” that at “a location such as Heathrow Airport, where aircraft tend to approach the airport from the east (flying over the London conurbation), there is potential for considerable exposure to UFP from aircraft”.
UFPs are minute particles emitted into the atmosphere from combustion. They are described by DEFRA as “Emissions of UFP arise primarily from combustion sources and especially transport-related sources which burn sulphur-containing fuels. Emissions from road transport affect all areas with major roads, emissions from shipping are important on the main shipping routes, and emissions from aviation are significant in the vicinity of major airports”.
UFPs are particularly harmful, penetrating deep into the lungs and from there into the body – something acknowledged by DEFRA in its report. Particulates and Nitrogen Dioxide together can be very harmful and affect breathing. Together they cause more than 28,000 deaths per year.
Air Quality Brentford

Inclusion of Brentford in the ULEZ

23 Jan 2018 The Mayor of London has been consulting on the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) for the past 2 years. The 4th part of this consultation closes on 28 February 2018, asking where the zone should extend to. At the moment the ULEZ will stop at the other side of the North and South Circular in Chiswick, (not including the North and South Circular roads). Any polluting vehicles entering the ULEZ will need to pay a charge for doing so, limiting their use, which in turn will help make the air cleaner.

We believe that Brentford should also be included in the ULEZ especially with the major arterial routes of the M4 and A4 running through residential areas, and are asking that the ULEZ is extended to the M25 to include the whole of Greater London, in this mayoral term, so that all Londoners are allowed to breathe clean air. Continue reading

BASH Heathrow public meeting

IMG_9528.JPGTues 18 July 2017 BASH held their second public meeting at St John’s Community Hall, Isleworth with speakers John Stewart (HACAN), Caroline Russell (London Assembly Member for the Green Party), Ruth Cadbury (local MP for Brentford & Isleworth) with an introduction by BASH co-ordinator David Waller. Continue reading

Sustainability Summit at Kew House School

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30 June 2017 We attended a Sustainability Summit at Kew House School, organised by InterClimate Network, a charity who work with secondary school students to inspire them to take action in Climate Change, asking ‘What can I do to make a difference?’. Schools involved were Kew House, Gumley House, Isleworth Boys and Hammersmith Academy. Guest speaker Dr Michal Nachmany (Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE) was inspirational, and not just for the students. She discussed how as humans we become addicted to our lifestyles, even if we know it’s bad for us. Plastics, use of electricity, animal products (making 1/4 of emissions in the world) are difficult to step away from. The most vulnerable populations in the world are the most effected by climate change. There is a need for a) Regulation, b) Motivation, what makes people want to change and c) Alternatives.

Air Quality Brentford went along with members of BRAG (Brentford Recycling Action Group) to lead mini-workshops to discuss issues of Air Quality and Recycling, alongside others discussing Transport and Resources. It was a wonderful afternoon and the brainstorming ideas from the pupils were a joy to witness, see above. We hope to work further with these schools in the Autumn term, giving our air quality mini-talk, and look forward to helping them put their actions in to practice to help make our air cleaner.

Walking the flightpath through Brentford

walk_flightpath.jpgSaturday 9 April 2017 Concerned residents took to the streets at the weekend, placards in hand, to help raise awareness that the proposed new runway at Heathrow airport will mean a further flightpath directly above Brentford over the Green Dragon Estate, New Road, Hamilton Road, Glenhurst Road/Orchard Road, the A4 and Boston Manor Park. The walk was organised by BASHR3 who have the support of Ruth Cadbury MP for Brentford & Isleworth. Continue reading

How do we get clean air for all Londoners?

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22 March 2017
That was the question posed by Caroline Russell last night at a content-packed meeting of over 80 representatives from every London borough. There were informed mini-presentations from Simon Birkett @CleanAirLondon, Prof Frank Kelly (Kings College), Alice Monroe (Doctors Against Diesel) @DieselDrs, Louise Francis @Mapping4Change, Andrea Lee @Client Earth, Prof Andrea Seller @Sellerthechemist, Lara Houston and Dr Jennifer Gabrys @citizensense.

All the participants lived outside the proposed ULEZ extension zone of the North and South Circular and were fully aware of very high measurements of NO2 and Particulate Matter polluting their air quality. ‘We want to breathe clean air too’ and this won’t happen without change. Last night we investigated ways that we can encourage more people to sign the petition to extend the ULEZ to the whole of Greater London: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/extend-the-ultra-low-emission-zone-to-the-whole-of-london Continue reading

A closer look at Brentford’s air pollution

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Air Quality Brentford are taking a closer look at the results from the air quality recorded at the A4/Glenhurst Road monitor. The results are available for all to see at http://www.airqualityengland.co.uk, select LB Hounslow and create graph. We think it’s important for more local residents to be aware of the high peaks in NO2 and PM10 emitted by diesel vehicles throughout the day. To help raise awareness we are making our own screengrabs of the results and publishing these on twitter every day @agreenerlondon

Air quality is measured as an annual average and the legal annual average for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) is 40 ugm and hourly there should be no more than 18 exceedances of 200 ugm per year. The legal annual average for Particulate Matter (PM10) is 40 ugm-3 and over a 24 hour period no more than 35 exceedances in a year over 50 µg m-3.

The example above shows the results for 9 March, a beautifully sunny day but the levels of NO2 only dipped below 40ugm at 4am and midnight – this is however still legal as the limit hasn’t gone over 200ugm. This toxic gas is invisible but you can probably smell or taste it in the air. Both Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter are harmful to humans, these very small particles are breathed in to the lungs and even enter the bloodstream affecting our immune system, and we need to start taking a little more notice of these very high levels of pollution. The levels of Particulate Matter on this day were illegal as they were over 50ugm.

Heathrow expansion

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February 2017: Fill in the Government’s consultation on Heathrow Expansion here or email RunwayConsultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk to have your say

A new group called Bashrunway3 (Brentford and Hounslow Stop Heathrow Expansion) has been set up to oppose further expansion at Heathrow, meaning a new flight path over Brentford. If you are concerned about this sign up to their emails: bashrunway3@gmail follow them on twitter @bashrunway3 and Facebook here

They have a public meeting at Brentford Free Church on Tues 21 March, 7.30 – 9.30pm Brentford Free Church with speakers Ruth Cadbury MP, Andrew Pendleton of Friends of the Earth and John Stewart of Hacan