Capital’s Mayor funds Beddington BID air quality initiative

sv-icon-copy-1The Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) have today announced £1.4m funding for six innovative ‘Neighbourhoods of the Future’, which will combine innovative green technology and other initiatives to tackle London’s air quality emergency directly at a local level. The funding will be matched by £1.1m from the London boroughs involved and Heathrow airport, and shows the ongoing commitment of the Mayor, TfL and London Councils to work closely with local communities to improve the quality of London’s air.

The ‘Neighbourhoods of the Future’ will help to break down the barriers preventing people from buying Ultra-Low emission vehicles (ULEVs) and ease the transition for communities wanting to move to greener lifestyles. The schemes include a zero emission zone, ‘electric streets’ that have a high concentration of electric vehicle charge points, and the trial of game-changing technology like an ultra-low emission HGV.

Following bids from the local areas involved, the six ‘Neighbourhoods of the Future’ are:

– Croydon & Sutton – Electric vans and trucks will be loaned to businesses in the Beddington Industrial Area, to reduce pollution caused by the high levels of construction in Croydon town centre. (£123,306 overall funding)

– Hammersmith & Fulham – A zero emission zone is proposed for Hammersmith town centre, including standard and rapid charge points for electric vehicles, as well as improvements to public space and other innovations such as sustainable urban drainage. (£210,000 overall funding)

– Heathrow – A trial of one of the UK’s first hydrogen-diesel powered vans will take place at Heathrow airport’s delivery consolidation centre, supporting the reduction of emissions from its day-to-day operations. (£130,000 overall funding)

– City Fringe (Hackney, Islington and Tower Hamlets) – ‘Electric streets’ will be created – with a concentration of charging points and electric vehicle-only parking and loading points. (£1,198,000 overall funding)

– Harrow – Mechanics will be specially trained to service Ultra-Low emission vehicles (ULEVs). Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points will be installed in Harrow town centre, and local businesses will trial the use of EV fleets. (£230,000 overall funding)

– Haringey – Clean energy charging schemes will be trialled, including a rapid charging taxi rank, in addition to specialist business and community engagement to drive awareness of green technology and encourage behaviour change. (£609,000 overall funding)

The aim of the ‘Neighbourhoods of the Future’ schemes are to give Londoners the confidence to make the switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles, to work with businesses to bring new technology to market faster, and to test technology that reduces pollution and could be used elsewhere in the Capital and across the UK.

Cllr Jill Whitehead, Chair of the Environment and Neighbourhood Committee at Sutton Council, said:

“Air pollution is a serious issue that affects communities across London. Redevelopment and construction projects in Sutton can have a temporary effect on pollution levels. To help alleviate this impact we are pleased to be able to loan electric vehicles to businesses in the Beddington Industrial Area, thanks to our successful TfL Neighbourhoods of the Future bid.”

The ‘Neighbourhoods of the Future’ are being introduced at a range of sites that are representative of similar sites elsewhere London and nationally, such as town centres, out-of-town industrial zones, international transport hubs and regeneration schemes.

 

Read More

SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW

Email Address *