This week has been a reminder of what normal should look like - air pollution data w/c 11 May

For once, we’ve been able to open the windows, use the garden, and let fresh air into the house without worrying about PM2.5 pollution affecting our family’s health. That should be the baseline for residents — not a rare “good week”.

What’s changed? Wind direction? Reduced emissions? And was the improvement seen elsewhere across the Ladder and the Gardens too?

The data from our monitor backs up what many residents could physically feel this week. Which raises a bigger question: why are local people having to buy their own equipment to understand the air they’re breathing? Monitoring air quality should be a council responsibility, not something residents fund out of their own pockets after years of being told there isn’t a problem.

One positive development: our Director of Public Health has agreed to meet with residents to hear concerns directly. That conversation is long overdue, but very welcome.

People over profits.

Background:
After years of concerns being dismissed, we installed our own air quality monitor in our back garden in the N4 section of the Ladder.

Monitor: AirGradient Open Air Outdoor O-1PST
Location: Mounted on the rear wall of the house with clear airflow, following manufacturer guidance.
Comparison: Data broadly tracks the Breathe London monitor, except for sharp spikes that appear to coincide with peak restaurant trading hours. See data from Jan.

Breathe London monitor location: Green Lanes near Pemberton Road / Kimberley Gardens.

Note - this data has been provided to our previous councillors who passed onto the council officers

More monitoring. More transparency. Real action.