News from Zack Polanski: Silvertown Road Tunnel threatens continued traffic pollution crisis

Following urgent air pollution warnings released today [1], Zack Polanski AM pressed the Mayor to shift his clean air goals onto cutting traffic, and to acknowledge traffic as one of the biggest the causes of pollution rather than just congestion.

The Mayor’s Silvertown Road Tunnel is set to commence tunnelling imminently, and will create a whole new major road, with new traffic. The Mayor’s own Breathe London network monitor, ‘Silvertown Tunnel access corridor’, has recorded pollution in the area well above limits recommended by the World Health Organisation.[2] The website also makes clear that the tunnel will increase traffic and therefore lead to increased pollution.

Green Party London Assembly Member Zack Polanski said:

While we do have an air pollution crisis and a climate emergency, London is dealing with a toxic traffic crisis. Children today are suffering with stunted lungs, simply for growing up in an area with harmful air.

Trying to cut congestion by creating more roads does not make sense. Pushing ahead with the Silvertown project means the Mayor continues to risk more toxic cars on more air polluting roads.

The Mayor is running pollution monitoring that highlights how bad the problem already is even before the tunnel opens and creates more traffic.

However, the fix for this doesn’t just include cancelling the project. It means proper alternatives for those who feel like they are forced to drive. Clean air doesn’t just mean changing the vehicles we use; it means changing the way we get around our city.

Londoners cannot pay the price of worsening access to public services and scrapping cars they cannot afford to lose. Most importantly, Londoners cannot pay the price of toxic air, an issue that affects low income and ethnic minority communities the most.

If we’re going to get on the path to cleaner, more breathable air, we must take all Londoners with us.

The Silvertown Road Tunnel has seen renewed opposition with Greenwich council now opposed, and it was voted against unanimously by Newham council this month - a borough with a large and diverse working class community. This is also a social justice issue and the Mayor needs to do the right thing and cancel the tunnel.

The Silvertown Road Tunnel has seen renewed opposition with Greenwich council now opposed, and it was voted against unanimously by Newham council this month - boroughs with a large and diverse working class community. This is also a social justice issue with communities either side of the tunnel who are affected now opposing the project. The Mayor finally needs to do the right thing and cancel the tunnel.