Overall we would expect to see an immediate reduction in pollution across this part of the city as the scheme creates shorter routes, more efficient distribution of traffic and shorter journey times. Air quality will be measured before and after construction.

The statement about reduced pollution ‘in this part of the city’ refers to the inner ring road where the council claim traffic is expected to decline. Elsewhere increased vehicle numbers will increase pollution. The council state in their bid for funding this link road that ‘In the immediate vicinity of the new link there will be a reduction in air quality due to the increase in the number of vehicles. This is not a residential area and it is not included within the AQMA.’ (The AQMA is the Air Quality Management Area). The immediate vicinity means the length of Putney Road and the junctions at each end. However, the impact on air quality will be greater than this.

It follows that in any area in which vehicle numbers increase, and congestion increases, there will be increased pollution, although this is not mentioned by the council. By their own reckoning there will be increased numbers of vehicles using Victoria Park Road so congestion and pollution will increase there and air quality will decline. At the Putney Road/Welford Road junction the intersection of radial and increased orbital traffic will create increased congestion and pollution. The same is true for the Mayfield Road roundabout junction due to the increased traffic on Victoria Park Road. Both of these junctions are in the AQMA – meaning pollution levels are already a problem there, and will get worse. The council has nothing to say about this. We also expect there to be increased pollution and reductions in air quality elsewhere in Clarendon Park due to rat-running in some parts, and increased congestion in others.