Shock over air pollution levels worse than London
Air pollution levels in Maidstone are the same as in central London – yet little is being done.
The nitrogen dioxide monitoring station installed at the gyratory system has been removed, despite the junction being one of the most polluted in the town.
Kent County Council confirmed the station, taken away at the start of the gyratory works, will be placed by Miller Heights, in Lower Stone Street, which is particularly polluted.
In response Maidstone’s Green Party installed ‘guerrilla’ monitoring stations around the town and were shocked by the results, with four of the five locations breaching the legal limit of 40mg/m3.
Upper Stone Street was more than twice the limit, 85.76mg/m3 – worse than Leicester Square, Oxford Circus and Regent Street.
The gyratory system came in second, measuring 70.12mg/m3.
The top of Buckland Hill measured 57.34, while 48.21 was recorded at Fairmeadow and 39.29 at London Road’s junction with Terrace Road.
Every year 130 deaths are linked to air pollution, which contributes to cancer, asthma, strokes and heart disease and is described as the single largest preventable health risk by the World Health Organisation.
Stuart Jeffery, leader of the Maidstone Greens, said: “Two of the sites are where children walk to the three large schools on Buckland Road and Leafy Lane and thousands of children are being exposed to these toxic fumes. We were truly shocked. While London is trying to improve its air quality with the congestion charge and good public transport, Maidstone is not only doing nothing but the council is preparing for huge increases in traffic, meaning air quality will get worse.”
Maidstone Greens are calling for changes to tackle pollution, including the closure of polluted routes at peak times.
Mr Jeffery conceded this could lead to short-term issues and was not a permanent fix but said it would mean fumes were not concentrated at central locations.