Council says readings are false due to equipment damage during storms

Concerns about the environment have been expressed since start of development

Southall had the worst air quality in England at the beginning of this week, according to recent measurement from sensors in the area. The council is saying that the equipment is faulty.

Air quality readings showed one area had the highest levels of pollution in the country on Monday, 28 February.

Sensors close to Southall Green picked up “moderate” levels of ozone in the atmosphere at noon, with an eight-hour mean reading of 124 µg/m3 of ozone registered.

This was a reduction from 10am, when an eight-hour mean reading of 144 µg/m3 of Ozone was registered.

The sensor near Southall Green was the only one of 286 country-wide sensors to pick up a “moderate “reading. It is one of four operating in the Southall area, although only one other sensor also detects ozone.

Residents have long said air quality in the town has been affected by building works on the site of a 20th century gas works.

An enormous development is being built on the site of the Southall Gas Works, used to store gas and produce coal tar and other chemicals for nearly 100 years until 1968.

Because of this, much of the soil on the site was contaminated and had to undergo treatment to purify it and make the area safe.

Nevertheless, concerns from residents remain that on-going work to build 3,750 homes, as well as shops, a primary school and a cinema, is continuing to pollute the air.

The Green Quarter, being built by Berkeley Group, is just over 860 metres from the sensor.

Ozone, or O3, is a harmful gas produced when other chemicals react together that can trigger asthma attacks and irritate the eyes, nose, lungs and throat.

According to air quality targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the three-year average for eight-hour mean concentrations of Ozone should not exceed 120 µg/m3 more than 25 times.

Since the start of 2022, concentrations of Ozone in Southall have been higher than 101 µg/m3 on four days in January and February.

Clean Air for Southall and Hayes campaigner David Marsden said, “We have been campaigning for years about poor air quality in Southall, and on the old gasworks site in particular.

“We have just been ignored and have been told we are too sensitive and that it will be over in days and weeks and months and it’s still going on years later.

“This largely validates what we have been saying all this time. What is the council going to do to keep us and our families safe?”

A spokesperson for Ealing Council said, “The south sensor at Ealing Green Quarter is faulty and has been since storm Eunice.

“We know this by comparing ozone concentration with neighbouring sites and with a further two monitors around the green quarter.

“Readings from these monitors do not show any exceedance in ozone concentration levels. A new sensor has been ordered and will be replaced in March.

“Tackling air pollution is one of the council’s top priorities and we are currently developing a new air quality strategy, which will be a key tool in helping reduce air pollution and improve health in the borough.”

Berkeley Group have been approached for comment.

Lisa Haseldine - Local Democracy Reporter

March 2, 2022