THE LITTLE GUIDE TO

To get involved in improving Victoria’s air quality and learn more about how small changes can make big air quality impacts contact: David Beamont, Operations Manager Victoria Business Improvement District T 0203 056 7437 E [email protected] W www.victoriabid.co.uk Air Quality in Victoria

INTRODUCTION AIR QUALITY CHAMPIONS

Like most parts of central , suffers Fourteen organisations and theatres have already from poor air quality, and consequently Victoria does signed Air Quality Pledge Certificates. too. Improving local air quality is vital to ensuring our area is a healthy and vibrant place to live, work, visit • Apollo Victoria Theatre, one of The and do business in. ’s theatres • The Association of the British The Victoria Business Improvement District (Victoria Pharmaceutical Industry BID) has done a great deal to raise the profile of local air quality within the area. • Caffè Nero • Capita Working in partnership with the City of Westminster, an engagement project undertaken by Victoria BID • China-Britain Business Council has already resulted in 14 organisations committing • DP World to becoming Air Quality Champions. • Grayling Communications Limited Although air quality is an issue that is increasingly in • Guoman – The Grosvenor Hotel the news it is still obvious that, although awareness is • Land Securities increasing, an appreciation of the scale and nature of the problem is still low. • Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces • The Telegraph Media Group The information in this booklet is a basic introduction to the topic and demonstrates how easy it is to • The Passage build improving air quality into your everyday • The Rubens at the Palace Hotel business activities. • The As more BID members join the project, local air Companies choose their sector focus and where quality will be improved even further. they can help from a pick list that includes: Communications – raising the profile of air quality; Transportation – promoting walking and cycling to staff and visitors; The Built Environment – reducing gas consumption and installing low emission technologies; Supply Chain – reducing the number of deliveries to offices.

“Air quality is about wellbeing and better and more sustainable business environments. We look forward to working with our BID members as future Air Quality Champions to make the new Victoria a healthy place in which to do business, live and visit now and for future generations.” Ruth Duston, Chief Executive, Victoria BID Vehicle-borne pollution has a negative impact on air quality, but the simple actions outlined in this booklet can help address this.

2 3 “Our message is that simple, small changes to business behaviours can improve “Any action to mitigate poor air quality has an almost immediate impact. local air quality and reduce health risks to people whilst making businesses If there is one good thing about poor air quality, it is that it is reversible.” more efficient.” David Beamont, Operations Manager, Victoria BID Keith Cotton, Managing Director, CrispAir

SITUATION HEALTH IMPACT LOCAL IMPACT

Poor air quality in Victoria is mostly as a result of human Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. Poor air quality is a local issue with each area having activity, specifically local combustion - mainly diesel Elevated levels or long term exposure to air pollution its own specific influencers such as the presence of vehicles and gas boilers. The issue is complex but the or both can lead to serious conditions affecting transport hubs, congested road infrastructure and their sources are broadly: human health. This mainly affects the respiratory and own unique mix of residential, office and retail space. cardiovascular systems, and can also lead to more • Transport (cars, taxis, buses and coaches) The map on this page shows the emission profile for serious conditions such as cancer and aggravate others. Westminster in 2010 for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO ). The • Buildings (gas from boilers) People with lung or heart conditions may be more 2 World Health Organisation and European Union health- • Supply chain (light and rigid heavy goods vehicles) susceptible to the effects of air pollution. based targets are for annual concentrations of NO2 to The pollutants of most concern are particulate matter • Over 4,000 deaths in 2008 in London were estimated be below 40 μg/m3. (often referred to as ‘PM’) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO ). to be attributable to poor air quality2 2 From the map it is clear that in 2010 most of the City These have a significant impact on human health. • Air quality in Victoria does not meet health-based of Westminster was in breach of health limit values. 3 targets for NO2 Future projections suggest that the picture will remain broadly similar: “annual average NO concentrations are • The health cost impact of poor air quality in the UK 2 NO annual mean concentration (µg/m3) in the PARTICULATE MATTER predicted to exceed the air quality objective of 40μg/m³ 2 has been estimated to be around £15 billion4 City of Westminster in 2010 (PM AND PM )1 over large areas of the City in 2015.”5 10 2.5 Map: Greater London Authority. The Victoria BID will address some of the bigger Particulate matter (PM) is a complex assemblage picture issues such as greening the area, promoting of non-gaseous material of varied chemical walking and cycling and minimising the impact of composition. It is categorised by the size of the MONITORING AIR QUALITY traffic and vehicles. particle, for example PM10 describes particles with a diameter of less than 10 microns (μm). Most PM WE NEED YOUR HELP TO COMPLETE The Victoria Palace Theatre set up an air quality monitor on the outside of their emissions in London are caused by road traffic, THE PICTURE AND THERE ARE SIMPLE with engine emission and tyre and brake wear building in partnership with Victoria BID, being the main sources. ACTIONS THAT EVERY BUSINESS CAN the City of Westminster and with part-funding TAKE NOW TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY. from Land Securities. 1 NITROGEN DIOXIDE (NO2) The sensor will measure air quality at the Victoria Street/Bressenden Place/Vauxhall All combustion processes produce oxides of Bridge Road junction over several years and nitrogen (NOx). In London, road transport and the data is publicly available via the London Air heating systems are the main sources of these Quality Network - www.londonair.org.uk NOx emissions. NOx is primarily made up of two pollutants - Nitric Oxide (NO) and Nitrogen Exposure to poor air quality can negatively affect our health and wellbeing. Dioxide (NO2). NO is of most concern due to its impact on health. However NO easily converts to

NO2 in the air - so to reduce concentrations of NO2 it is essential to control emissions of NOx.

1. Air Quality for Public Health Professionals - City of Westminster. Greater London Authority. November 2012 4. Air Pollution: Action in a Changing Climate. Defra. 2010 2. Report on estimation of mortality impacts of particulate air pollution. Institute of Occupational Medicine. June 2010 5. Air Quality Action Plan 2013-2018. City of Westminster. 2013. 3. Air Quality for Public Health Professionals - City of Westminster. Greater London Authority. November 2012

4 5 Air Quality Solutions: AIR QUALITY TOP TIP: In shared buildings, combine orders for business basics like What You Can Do Today stationary with your neighbours to reduce the number of delivery vehicles in Victoria.

COMMUNICATIONS THE TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP TRANSPORTATION

Raising the profile of air quality through policy The Telegraph Media Group’s ‘Bike Library’ holds Promoting walking and cycling for a healthier workforce: implementation and campaign support: several Brompton fold-up bikes that staff can • Promote walking and cycling – safely and using low • Embed air quality into your corporate responsibility sign out. They can also purchase bikes through a emission routes and environment policies benefits exchange scheme. • Utilise the ‘cycle to work’ scheme, and online apps • Launch campaigns internally to promote walking and Over eighty bike parking spaces are available on such as CityAir cycling using air quality as a core driver for change site and showers are readily available. Staff also benefit from an on-site bike check service for their • Get Transport for London ‘Legible London’ maps • Join the Victoria BID Air Quality project own bikes that helps to ensure they are in tip-top bespoke to your office to familiarise employees and and become an Air Quality Champion – 14 condition. Collectively these activities boost the clients with local walking routes organisations and theatres have already signed appeal of and encourage cycling. • Explore private hire vehicle contracts with hybrid and Air Quality Pledge Certificates that focus on electric variants communications, transportation, the built environment and the supply chain • Launch campaigns to support environmental Legible London fold out maps like this one that are centred on a initiatives that improve air quality business’s premises help visitors and staff become familiar with the streets and spaces in Victoria and encourage walking and cycling over vehicle use. THE ASSOCIATION OF THE BRITISH Photo: Victoria BID/Mickey Lee. PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

By commissioning and sharing Legible London maps centred on their premises, ABPI helps visitors understand how close Victoria is to several mainline transport nodes and encourages walking and cycling. The map also enables new staff to become familiar with and explore Victoria, and even existing staff can discover new routes to local shops, cafes and restaurants. ABPI have also hosted meetings with other 1 2 3 building tenants to explore sharing suppliers for business basics like stationary. Air Quality Champions receive their Pledge Certificates from Councillor Heather Acton, Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Parking at the Celebrating Improving Air Quality event. 1. Victoria Page, Grayling Communications Limited. 2. Neil Pennell, Land Securities. 3. Roger Clark, The Passage. Photos: Victoria BID/Mickey Lee.

6 7 “We got involved in the project to engage with our customers and staff, helping to raise awareness and help to improve air quality, by reducing vehicle emissions associated Air Quality with deliveries from our supply chain.” Juliet Hayes, Safety & Environmental Advisor, Ambassador Theatre Group in Victoria

SUPPLY CHAIN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Reducing the number of vehicles delivering to site and Reducing gas consumption and installing low demanding a lower emission profile of the fleet: emission technologies: • Incorporate air quality, alongside other environmental • Reduce gas consumption and install ultra-low NOx targets, into supply chain policies boilers when fitting new or upgrading equipment • Reduce the number of vehicles delivering to • Assess the energy needs of the building to improve your office efficiency and reduce gas usage • Share services with neighbours and organisations • Install ultra-low NOx boilers or at least a leaner burner on different floors for business basics like stationery • Minimise the use of your back-up generator if you and toiletries have one • Demand a lower emission vehicle that delivers your • ‘Green’ the building – schemes of all sizes can help goods and services The Apollo Victoria Theatre. • Ask drivers to refrain from idling their vehicle engines Photo: Ambassador Theatre Group when visiting your site THE RUBENS AT THE PALACE HOTEL • Explore consolidation services and low emission supply opportunities through Victoria BID APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE In 2013, one of London’s largest living walls was unveiled on the side of the Rubens at the Palace By working with their supply chain partners the Hotel in Victoria. The next Apollo Victoria Theatre has negotiated a new Covering 450m2 the wall comprises pollinator- AIR QUALITY TOP TIP: ‘super contract’ to provide all services through a time you speak with your supplier, friendly plant species that not only improve single supplier. Mains filtered water is now also biodiversity but have many other benefits. ask them when they are going to installed reducing bottled water requirements go electric or hybrid – the more and therefore deliveries. The wall itself acts as a huge green filter – people that ask, the faster you’ll trapping pollutants that are harmful to human This consolidation has reduced consumable and health that are then washed away. The living wall see electric or hybrid vehicles on water deliveries from 12 to 4 per week. also insulates the hotel and will reduce heating the street. and cooling needs.

The Rubens at The Palace Hotel living wall – a big scheme with a big impact, but all greening schemes can help. Photo: Red Carnation Hotels.

8 9 AIR QUALITY TOP TIP: To trial an electric vehicle or find out more about electric vehicle grants contact Victoria BID’s Operations Manager, David What Else is Being Done? Beamont on 020 3056 7437 or email [email protected]

CITY OF WESTMINSTER ACTIONS GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY AND TRANSPORT FOR LONDON ACTIONS “Improving air quality in Westminster is a complex challenge and requires continued cooperation and Clearing the Air, the Mayor of London’s air quality collaboration if we are to make the progress we all strategy “sets out a framework for improving London’s want to see.” Councillor Heather Acton, Cabinet air quality and measures aimed at reducing emissions Member for Sustainability and Parking from transport, homes, offices and new developments, as well as raising awareness of air quality issues.”6 • The first local authority to declare an Air Quality Management Area in 1999 and the first to produce • Promoting low-emission vehicles such as an Air Quality Strategy and Plan in 2001 electric vehicles • Pioneered the initial concept of a Low Emission Zone • Promoting eco-driving • Environmental Impact Assessments required for • New standards for the Low Emission Zone and large developments planning for the new Ultra Low Emission Zone • Air Quality Assessments required for developments • Age limits for taxis which are deemed to be significant in terms of • Retrofitting older buses including large investment in air quality Several electric vehicle charging points are available within the the new Routemaster II • The Westminster Code of Construction Practice Victoria BID footprint. Several new Routemaster II buses pass through Victoria. The Photo: Victoria BID/Mickey Lee. • Targeted measures for areas where air quality is poor number 38 route from Victoria to Clapton Pond uses the new T for major sites, requires developers to control and N H M E LK C T O E WA S R N CAG E O T BIRD R D N RAFT VersioR n 1 Legible London C S O S N W E T ! VB019 Routemaster II along its entire route. O E E Á T M P E L L I E A R Victoria BID Area W V C T monitor dust emissions A E S R L G E Corporate GIS TeamL P C E • Using the planning system to reduce emissions from 020 7641 2994 E A H NC B H E B A P C S E U R CK F A T C Y T IN T L E G T E G A E M R H P E R L A Photo: Victoria BID/Mickey Lee. M R E E044 M O P G T A R S E S T E D E

B T W V S E E C R M T E S A O N O new developments with Supplementary Planning R L R C T O T F T P E T H F E S R E E F017 O E • Infrastructure and incentivisation for electric and low R E A R M R P H E O T P T T E W L Y C A S A T A S LA A L A L R S IL M CE ED K A E C L E I T E ST R N U H O E W A R F N C N S EE IL A P Q P T L L L S M T W E O A E E E L Guidelines being adopted by boroughs W C H W E E T E V T R S N A U S T R A

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L VB027 ! LA M P ! Á P L G K A A R VB008 Á WIC H A VB003 HO S C V ! energy efficient E E VB017 Á S E ! H P F014 C W L !Á VB006 replacement fleet vehicles: electric, electric hybrid, E VB020 A M H C F045 ! Á L T E ! Á ! Á VB004 L R ! A O T Y VB007 A H C N M L F015 I H S B R W VB025 R L E E VB010 O E S B M VB009 S H ! ! ! Y G L N Á Á D R LPG/CNG, petrol and diesel A F010 Y A O E R EE M T VB005 O N L A ! N C L A E O • Working with businesses, the Cross River Partnership ! ! A S S A T E Á Á V D T T VB011 R C M E R R E C O N O H C W E E L VB030 R U T T E A E U S P E R E T O T L T S O I S N S H L W S ! VB016 E T E T E and BIDs to deliver air quality improvements via the M R P R E L E N R E A A C O T C C E A T VB026 E L A E T C E038 P E ! E E E Á E A N R R R L O A A T P T U S A U T E Q Q IS A S S E Clean Air Better Business (CABB) programme T C O N C S R N C O E S A A

E VB013 VB012 N T T L Á R W A W ! F E E S P E E E E A F013 L H M ! I R E IZ C VB014 T A Y Á R E G R ! A B T O C U E Á A G E T T B E L W N C W H E K I P R O O T L I T S S F048 V E ! L T A R A O S G Á L U R E TRLN19 E E Y W D O R T C I E E R W E M H E R VB029 C T U A T I E L B A N D B D P S L E A A P T T E A V L E P R O O E A A A N N E U H N N R C T N R G X E M O H C E E P D BELGRAVIA T U A E D W L L T O S W L O E E A A S L I L V S C F034 M L IL B R R I R E O A D T T L E E E H R C E L C H O I S C E G O D S A A C G N G T N U Y T O R O C I R E Legible London L L S R E E R N E O C E Y T IL E O L E V T A A T E VB022 E G A R R IN N R S D D C O E W E S T E T R R S E ! T N R W H N Minilith A I A D Á L C VB021 ! I T E E E T L T E E A L O E E S R S W Á M B T A Q ! ! L A E F024 H Monolith R O H L U Á A Á L H U D A R F030 G G T U C U G Q R R U A A E ! R B U S F023 Midilith H V C Á E H E D B T E N R H O S C O O E B !( N Finger Post U E A T A R H D B R R S S O C E E N R I O E M L G E C L C K T E H S U Y C Y S M N P A T D E W S T !( Cycle Hire Scheme Location A Y LA K R H S C IC T R T E A T E W R E E E R ! R E R E A E E T E Á W E T G T E R C R T A T VB023 M A S B U R Q D I D S O 0 30 60 120 Meters G O ² E K F025 S IC MaWp produced by Corporate GIS Team TR L VB024 E W FRor reprints or enquiries contact This product includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance E R A Survey with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's ! T A HSimon Gaule ext. 2994 Stationery Office. © Crown copyright and/or database right 2010. Á F052 W C All rights reserved. Licence number LA 100019597 Date:May 2010 / Map Reference:4601

F033 Victoria BID, Westminster City Council and Transport for London undertook a Legible London signage placement strategy in 2010 that led to the installation of 26 signs. Map: Crown copyright/database right 2010.

6. Greater London Authority online. 2014

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