Redbridge is getting funding from the Mayor of London to tackle poor air quality.

The funding is part of a pan-London scheme in which Sadiq Khan has pledged £6 million to fund 15 projects and reduce air pollution.

Schemes being funded include reducing pollution from river boats and construction sites and creating hundreds of car-free and pedestrianisation areas in London.

In Redbridge, the establishment of “school streets”, where cars are barred from entering roads close to schools during pick-up and drop-off times is one such scheme.

Anti-engine-idling campaigns are also spreading across the capital, across 27 boroughs.

These projects will share £4 million from the Mayor and will each pump a further £6 million in from their own budgets.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Our filthy air is a health crisis that increases the risk of dementia and asthma and damages the lung development of our children.

“I’m delighted that our Air Quality Fund is helping boroughs to clean up some of our most polluted streets, making them safer for pedestrians and cyclists, providing electric vehicle charging points and supporting businesses and residents in adopting cleaner modes of transport.

“The introduction of the ULEZ in April this year was a major and necessary step in addressing our filthy air and protecting the health of all Londoners.

“Now this local funding is helping boroughs continue to do their part to improve air quality. Not only that but it is also helping Londoners to experience what a zero-emission city could be like, especially as we work to tackle our climate crisis.

“But London politicians can’t solve these issues alone. We need government ministers to wake up and recognise the true scale of this health emergency, and give us new clean air legislation and a national vehicle scrappage fund to truly improve the quality of the air we breathe.”

Pan-London projects have also received funding, including ‘Healthy Streets Everyday’, headed by Cross River Partnership, which aims to deliver 250 car-free and pedestrianised areas over the next three years.

Tom Copley, Labour London-wide London Assembly member, said: “Children across our capital are being exposed to dangerous levels of toxic air while sitting in the classroom, and this can lead to serious health problems, such as the stunting of their lung development.

“So, it is extremely positive to see the Mayor and Redbridge Council working together to deliver this vital project to tackle air pollution outside local schools.

“This funding will also go towards encouraging more parents and children to leave their cars at home, and instead use public transport or take up walking, cycling or scooting on the school run instead”.

Cllr Jas Athwal, council leader, said: “I am enormously pleased that the Mayor has awarded us funding to make the roads around schools much safer and healthier for our residents by creating ‘Redbridge Clean Air Zones’.

“It’s our absolute duty to protect our children’s health, both as a council and as part of the community ourselves and these zones will target congested areas outside of schools by cutting down on pollution caused by traffic. 

“We know that air quality and safety is a top concern for parents and that’s why we are doing everything we can to build a cleaner and safer environment for our residents and mitigate the impact pollution has on local young people.”