A Green Party assembly candidate has said he will fight to tackle dangerous air pollution levels if he is elected.

Lee Burkwood, who is also the London Green Party borough representative for Redbridge, is running as a candidate for the Havering and Redbridge seat in the London Assembly elections on May 5.

The 25-year-old from Clayhall has said he is particularly concerned by the high air pollution levels in places like Wanstead.

He said: “Air pollution is a huge issue for the people of Redbridge, particularly over George Green in Wanstead where figures have suggested levels are way over the EU limit of 40 micrograms.

“We would tackle this health risk by continuing to campaign for a reduction in the concentration of flight paths, flattening fare zones on public transport, and increasing the congestion charge.

“This way there would be less traffic, with less people driving into central London, meaning cleaner air for people in Wanstead.”

As part of its FairFares campaign, the Green Party is proposing to flatten underground fares for zones three and four by 2017, which would mean zone four commuters in Wanstead and South Woodford would be paying much less.

Lee has said his campaign will also push for more social housing and local authority schools.

He said: “We have identified over 1,000 brownfield sites across Redbridge that could be used to build more affordable housing and schools.

“Housing in Redbridge is the most expensive in outer London, and social housing is only at 11 per cent. So we would take on the big developers to ensure they are building enough low-cost homes for the people who need them.”

With regards to education, Lee has rejected free schools and academies as the solution school place shortages in the borough.

He said: “We are against free schools as there is no way of parents holding them to account for their children’s education.

“We want to see more local authority schools built on the brown sites available, because Redbridge does have the funding for it, and the space is there.”

Redbridge Council has been contacted for comment.