Writing to GLA members re 28th October visit to 10 Downing Street

 Dear GLA Members

Invitation to 10 Downing Street to deliver a letter on 28th October at 4pm re the Tesco Toxic Towers

More than 100 residents have crowd funded a judicial review to challenge what campaigners term the Tesco Toxic Towers, a development between a busy High Road and Crossrail of 1280 homes mainly high rise. A hearing at the High Court seeking permission is due next month

There are different reasons among the campaign team for going to court. These are my views, not our lawyers and do not necessarily reflect those of anyone else attending on the 28th. I say we have lost our moral compass if we build high rise towers in locations so toxic that mechanical ventilation and or air filters have to be installed to the seventh floor. This is because the moment residents leave their homes they will be exposed to damaging levels of air pollution.

There is a picture of the development at the stop the Tesco Toxic Towers blog in a post dated 17th October 2022. All the flats along the High Road will have "mechanical ventilation" to the seventh floor to mitigate against air pollution. However, the proposed school on the High Road as part of the development will not have any mechanical ventilation. This apparent negligence will come up at the High Court hearing. Before planning permission was granted, I asked Redbridge Council to allow affordable rent tenants whose children had asthma to refuse allocation to the flats with mechanical ventilation without any sanction as a planning condition.

Redbridge refused my request, so we face the real possibility of some tenants being coerced into living in flats not suitable for habitation without mechanical ventilation. Not only that, some affordable housing tenants who may be parents could be overlooking the proposed school which has a playground on the roof, planned to be below the seventh floor. Vulnerable children with air pollution related diseases should not exercise on high pollution days, but telling small children not to run around with their friends seems problematic. So we have the prospect of affordable housing parents watching their asthmatic children run around in the playground dreading the exercise may trigger an asthma attack.

The whole development is expected to sell at more than £300M. Installing mechanical ventilation at the school would be completely proportionate. If the development cannot be stopped, it would be better to site the school in a different place in the development away from the busy road.

Councillor Athwal has been copied in should he wish to comment on this email.

Embargoed letter

The hope is to get an embargoed letter into a broadsheet newspaper due for publication on the 28th October. Elected representatives attending 10 Downing along with a letter in a national newspaper article may stimulate London TV interest. If you are interested please let me know and I will, in agreement with those attending on the 28th, send you the draft letter.

Regards

Andy Walker 07956 263088

120 Blythswood Road

Ilford

IG3 8SG

Extract from the Mayoral press release below from March 2022

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "Toxic air is extremely dangerous for Londoners – and I’m doing everything in my power to tackle it. Today we have seen the capital experiencing high levels of air pollution and are expecting this to continue for two days. For this reason, I am issuing a ‘high’ air pollution alert from today until Thursday.

“I’m urging Londoners to look after each other by choosing to walk, cycle or take public transport, avoiding unnecessary car journeys, stopping engine idling and not burning wood or garden waste, all of which contributes to high levels of pollution. This is particularly important in order to protect those who are more vulnerable to high pollution. While this alert is in place people with heart and lung problems should avoid physical exertion.” ENDs

Asthma and Lung UK guidance below linking exercise and asthma

Check the pollution forecast

DEFRA’s Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) tells you whether pollution levels are low, moderate, high or very high near you.

They have health advice for people with asthma, and others who may be more sensitive to pollution:

• When pollution is low there’s usually no need to worry or change your plans.
• When pollution is moderate, and you’ve noticed symptoms, consider avoiding too much physical activity outdoors
• When pollution is high, you should limit the physical activity you do outdoors, especially if you’ve noticed symptoms.
• When pollution is very high you should avoid strenuous physical activity outdoors.