We've been working with Merton Council's Air Qualtiy team to monitor air qualtiy in Mitcham during 2019.

We've already been very busy on this topic and we published our last report last year. 

We've completed three sets of air qualtiy monitoring so far this year, and this work is ongoing. 

What we've learned is truly shocking.

The legal minimum measure for air qualtiy is μ40/m³. This is a limit set by the European Commission, and it is used throughout Europe to set a limit which it is illegal to breach.

Our measuresments have been taken at a number of locations in and around Mitcham Village Centre. We have taken some measurements for the same location several times, because this is a requirement to produce 'annualised' results that are meaningful for Londonwide air qualtiy work. We will be able to report on the annualised figures at a later date. 

But from what we know so far, there is nowhere in Mitcham Village Centre we have examined this year that does not break the legal limit. 

Here are two key things to be aware of:

• When you are waiting for a bus at the top end of the new bus street in London Road, you might be experience air qualtiy of μ70/m³. That is way, way past the legal limit. We think this is because buses stand there in multiple numbers, running their engines. 
• When you walk around in Mitcham Village Centre even in the least bad locations you are in places where the air qualtiy level is illegal.

Have a look at what we have learned in detail - 

We continue to work with Merton Council on measuring air quality in Mitcham.

We want Merton Council to take measures to improve our air qualtiy.

One of the important things they can do is put pressure on Transport For London to make all the buses that pass through Mitcham low emission.

When we analysed air qualty in 2016, before the bus street went through, we monitored three locations along what was to become the bus street, and what was then a pedestrianised area. This is what we found then- each of the three areas had readings which were below the legal limit:

Now, in 2019, there is no location along that bus street that we have measured which is below the legal limit. 

Read our 2016 report in full. 

Read our 2018 report in full.