An open letter to Sadiq Khan - Building on last week's visit to create action on restaurant air pollution

Last week Harringay received a visit from the Mayor of London - however, it was disappointing that he did not use his platform to address the public health challenge faced by staff, customers and residents caused by legacy extraction system (compliant but not protecting our health).

This is despite Catherine West, David Lammy and Joanne McCartney being fully committed to finding a solution.

This would be a great opportunity for the Major to take a bold step. Please consider using the below as a template to write to him - we need his platform and bold vision here!

Email:mayor@london.gov.uk; caroline.russell@london.gov.uk; 

Dear Mayor Khan,

I am writing as a resident who has long admired your bold approach on ULEZ, tackling knife crime and your ambition to pedestrianise Oxford Street. You have demonstrated a willingness to use your influence to tackle difficult issues and improve Londoners' lives.

That is why I was disappointed that your recent visit to a restaurant on Green Lanes did not appear to provide an opportunity to address one of the area's most pressing public health concerns: restaurant air pollution.

This has become a major issue for local residents. Parents are increasingly worried about what their children are breathing, particularly those living above or close to restaurants using solid fuels. There is genuine anxiety about the potential long-term impact on children's developing lungs. Residents want to enjoy everything Harringay has to offer, but they should not have to worry about the air entering their homes.

Harringay is renowned for its wonderful food, vibrant restaurant community and diversity of cuisines. We want these businesses to thrive and to be part of creating a healthier neighbourhood for everyone who lives, works, learns, plays and eats here.

As you will be aware, commercial cooking emissions, particularly from solid-fuel burning across different cuisines, can generate harmful particulate matter, including PM10 and PM2.5, which are associated with adverse health outcomes. Modern extraction and filtration technology can make a real difference, protecting restaurant staff, customers and neighbouring residents. Investment in this technology should be seen as an investment in the future of Harringay, not simply a regulatory obligation.

Haringey Council has been working hard to tackle this growing public health concern. It has written to restaurants, sought engagement and encouraged improvements. Catherine West and David Lammy have also written to highlight residents' concerns, and Joanne McCartney has been engaged.

Of the 27 businesses contacted by the Council:

• 4 have been ruled out of scope.
• 11 have undertaken some engagement, but residents do not know the current status of their filtration systems or plans for improvement.
• 12 have not engaged at all.

An important distinction is that the council holds information about these businesses and their filtration arrangements. It knows which have demonstrated safe practices and where further improvements may be needed. However, due to commercial sensitivities, residents have not been given this clarity.

I would be interested to know whether you had been briefed on the issue before your visit and whether you took the opportunity to ask:

1. Which restaurants have effective filtration systems that protect staff, customers and neighbouring residents?
2. Which businesses have received complaints about smoke and pollution emissions?
3. How are restaurants protecting people living nearby from emissions associated with solid-fuel cooking?
4. Which businesses that have yet to even engage to invest in better technology?

To be clear, we do not know the filtration status of the restaurant you visited, and I am not suggesting that it operates unsafely. My question is whether you were sufficiently briefed on the wider issue and whether the right questions were asked.

Your visit presented a valuable opportunity to use your influence to help move this issue forward.

You have a public platform and established relationships with the Green Lanes restaurant community. You could bring businesses together, celebrate those investing in effective filtration and motivate others to follow their example. Imagine making Green Lanes a showcase for great food and clean air, where restaurants are recognised for protecting their customers, staff and neighbours.

Your commitment to clean air and protecting children's lungs is something I have genuinely admired. ULEZ demonstrated how Mayoral leadership can use influence to drive meaningful change. We need that same ambition here.

This is a key resident and public health issue. Parents are worried, residents are seeking answers and the council is already working hard to address the problem. What is needed now is bold and visible Mayoral leadership to bring the restaurant community with it.

You have the platform and relationships to build on your visit by convening restaurant owners, championing modern filtration technology and celebrating businesses that are leading the way. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that a successful hospitality industry and a healthy neighbourhood go hand in hand.

We want Harringay's restaurants to flourish. We want their staff to work in clean air, their customers to enjoy food in a healthy environment, and children and families living nearby to breathe safely in their own homes.

I hope you will use your influence to make Harringay an example of how a thriving restaurant community can lead the way on clean air.

I look forward to hearing your response.

Yours sincerely,

A concerned resident of Harringay