Andrew Dismore

Barnet Council is the only Council in London that is not taking part in a campaign by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to combat vehicle engine idling. Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden Andrew Dismore asked the Mayor what he was doing to work with councils to tackle the problem, which contributes to toxic air quality and noise nuisance. Some schools in particular can suffer from idling vehicles, as parents wait in their cars to collect children from class.

The Mayor said that in the current round of the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund, London’s boroughs were granted £500,000 for a pan-London anti-idling campaign, including awareness raising, events, direct engagement with drivers, and enforcement against idling vehicles.

Barnet Council have decided not to take part in this scheme. All of London’s other boroughs are active members of the project, but Barnet council have advised the Mayor that they are not willing/able to take part. Mr Khan added that he would very much welcome their participation in the scheme if they were to change their minds.

Mr Dismore said:

‘This is absolutely typical of the usual shameless hypocrisy from Barnet Council’s incompetent Conservative administration. Last month they were complaining that they didn’t get grant funding from the Mayor, but it turns out this is because they never apply for any, and in this case they actively turn it down! This is direct money from the Mayor to tackle the urgent crisis of illegally toxic air quality, and Barnet Conservatives say ‘no’.

‘Given the Mayor’s previous air quality audit at schools identified real air quality challenges at Wessex Gardens and Tudor Primary schools in Barnet, I cannot believe that the Conservatives have let these children down so badly. They are completely disinterested in any matters to do with the environment.’

East Finchley Councillor Arjun Mittra added:

‘The Council’s Conservative administration watered down Labour’s motion to declare a climate emergency, they scrapped food waste collection, they are doing nothing on cycling infrastructure and now it turns out that they won’t even take part in a  mayoral funded Londonwide campaign to improve air quality. They really have an environmental record to be ashamed of. In East Finchley, we have had a public meeting to discuss air quality because people are so worried about it, especially children. It is a slap in the face to those children who are campaigning hard to encourage people not to engine idle, only to find out the council is refusing to take money on offer to combat it.’

ENDS

Notes:

• Andrew Dismore is the Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden
• Cllr Arjun Mittra is a Labour Councillor for East Finchley ward.
• The written answer from the Mayor of London to Andrew Dismore AM is as follows:

Engine idling in Barnet

Question No: 2019/19934

Andrew Dismore

Are you working with councils to promote anti engine-idling campaigns? Residents have written to me requesting such a campaign in Golders Green, can you assist in requesting the Council to do this?

Engine idling in Barnet

The Mayor

Last updated: 22 October, 2019

In this round of the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund I am providing London’s boroughs with £500,000 for a pan-London anti-idling campaign which includes awareness raising, events, direct engagement with drivers, and enforcement against idling vehicles.

Unfortunately, Barnet have decided not to take part in this scheme. All of London’s other boroughs are active members of the project, but Barnet council have advised us that they are not willing/able to take part. I would very much welcome their participation in the scheme if they were to change their minds.