Dear councillors,
We, the communities of Lambeth and Southwark, need your help to reclaim our air.
Lambeth and Southwark have some of the worst air pollution levels in the UK. This is a problem for every single one of us who lives and breathes on our streets.
The long term effects of air pollution are felt the hardest in the Black and Brown communities of our boroughs. After the tragic role that air pollution played in the death of 9 year old Ella Kissi Debrah, it’s clear that action is needed urgently. Because if not now – when?
We know that you’ve made commitments to clean up our air, but we need to see it to believe it. As recently elected councils, it’s time to put your words into action – and fast. To live and breathe freely, we need to see some key changes now:
Space to thrive. We need more cycle lanes and walking routes, so dirty roads don’t divide us. We want green space close to our homes to clean our air and shape our communities.
A deadline for diesel. It’s time we phased out the cars that are polluting the most. We can’t live on streets that are polluted every day by harmful diesel fumes.
Shared transport first. Our community needs new ways to get around. We want fewer cars and that means councils creating positive, affordable alternatives including more priority bus routes on council roads, cycling initiatives, and shared car schemes.
We’re urging you to work together with us for change. These streets are our streets. We live here. It’s high time that we can breathe freely here.
Co-signed by:
Brixton Soup Kitchen
Choked Up
Extinction Rebellion Southwark
Fare City
Gather
Green New Deal Rising
Impact Brixton
Impact On Urban Health
Love Ssega
Mums for Lungs
Neon Performing Arts Ltd
Old Kent Road Family Zone
Peace Ballers
Peckham BMX Club
Plastic Free Peckham
RMUK Wellbeing
Ryan J. Matthews-Robinson CEO/ Founder of Poetic Unity
Southwark Defend Council Housing
Southwark Green Party
Surrey Square Primary School
The Feminist Library
TheRAPutix