Brixton Road pollution drops by 26% – but Lambeth still a long way from clean air goals
Air pollution levels in Lambeth are improving, but the borough still faces a tough challenge to meet its long-term clean air targets, according to a new council report. A fresh …
Black News 
Air pollution levels in Lambeth are improving, but the borough still faces a tough challenge to meet its long-term clean air targets, according to a new council report.
A fresh Air Quality Action Plan covering 2026–2028 says pollution levels have fallen significantly in recent years, with one key monitoring point on Brixton Road showing a marked improvement.
According to the report, the annual average concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) on Brixton Road fell from 65 μg/m³ in 2022 to 48 μg/m³ in 2024 — a 26 per cent reduction.
The council credits measures such as London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone and wider transport policies for helping to drive down emissions.
Despite that progress, the report makes clear that pollution remains a major public health challenge in the borough.
Lambeth has been designated an Air Quality Management Area since 2007, meaning the council has a legal duty to take action to reduce harmful pollutants including nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter.
The new action plan sets out more than 80 measures intended to reduce pollution and limit residents’ exposure to it over the next three years.
These include expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, converting most council vehicles to electric or hybrid models, increasing School Streets and encouraging walking and cycling through “Healthy Neighbourhood” schemes.
One longer-term ambition outlined in the plan is to increase shared transport options, with the council aiming to support car club bays on streets and estates across the borough by 2030 as a way of reducing private car ownership and emissions.
The council also intends to tackle pollution from buildings by expanding programmes to improve energy efficiency in housing and replace gas boilers with lower-carbon heating systems where possible.
Air pollution is associated with a range of serious health impacts including respiratory disease, heart disease and cancer, and the report notes that children, older people and residents with existing health conditions are particularly vulnerable to its effects.
However, the report also acknowledges that some pollution hotspots remain, particularly along the borough’s busiest arterial roads into central London.
While the action plan references “Healthy Neighbourhood” traffic reduction schemes and School Streets, it does not explicitly mention the term Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), which have been introduced in several parts of Lambeth in recent years.
Critics of such schemes sometimes argue that restricting traffic in residential areas can displace vehicles onto surrounding roads, although the report itself does not explore that issue.
Instead, the council says its overall aim is to accelerate progress towards meeting the World Health Organisation’s recommended pollution targets by 2030, while continuing to reduce residents’ exposure to harmful air pollution across the borough.
