Cough cough: Britain's most polluted spots are all in London

Marylebone Road is the worst

London may well be the financial capital, fashion capital and luxury capital of Britain but new figures reveal today that it’s also the pollution capital.

London has all of Britain’s worst spots for poisonous air, according to figures obtained by a freedom of information request by the Labour party.

The most polluted spot in Britain is Marylebone Road followed by Park Lane, Knightsbridge and Hammersmith flyover.

How are these blackspots are identified?

The research is based on NO2 levels in Britain. According to EU rules, the acceptable limit for NO2 in areas where people live is 40 micrograms per cubic metre on average per year.

The area where Marylebone Road joins Glentworth Street recorded 132 micrograms which is almost three and a half times more than the EU maximum.

Maria Eagle, shadow secretary of state for the environment said: “Air pollution is killing 29,000 people a year, and London’s fifty dirtiest roads all exceed legal limits.

“But this Government spends more time trying to hide the problem than it does trying to clean it up.

“A Labour government will devolve the power, not just the responsibility, to councils willing to take action against this silent killer.”

 

London’s 20 most polluted roads

1. ‘A501’ – Marylebone Road (Glentworth Street)

2. ‘A501’ – Marylebone Road (Wyndham Street)

3. ‘A4202’ – Park Lane

4. ‘A4’ – Knightsbridge

5. ‘A4’ – Hammersmith Flyover

6. ‘A13’ – Alfred’s Way (East Ham and Barking By Pass)

7. ‘A501’ – Marylebone Road (Great Portland Street Station)

8. ‘A40’ – Oxford Street (Orchard Street)

9. ‘A4’ – Cockspur Street

10. ‘A501’ – Euston Road

11. ‘A4206’ – Harrow Road (Paddington Basin)

12. ‘A40’ – Westway

13. ‘A302’ – Grosvenor Place

14. ‘A102’ – Blackwall Tunnel

15. ‘A12’ –Blackwall Tunnel Approach

16. ‘A501’ – Marylebone Road (Edgeware Road)

17. ‘A1261’ – Aspen Way, Poplar

18. ‘A40’ – Oxford Street (Portman Street)

19. ‘A4’ – Strand

20. ‘A40’ – Marylebone Flyover

 

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