Traffic scheme will harm pupils, says mother of boy, 12, who 'got asthma because of air pollution'

Nathaniel Carey, 12, whose mother Camilla believes his asthma is due to air pollution
NIGEL HOWARD ©
Benedict Moore Bridger19 January 2018

A mother who blames air pollution for the severe asthma that has hospitalised her son today urged councillors to scrap a traffic scheme she says will harm children’s health.

Camilla Carey, 46, believes poor air quality at William Patten primary in Stoke Newington — one of the worst-polluted schools in the capital — could have played a role in her 12-year-old son Nathaniel’s condition.

She wants Hackney council to scrap road closure plans that she and other campaigners fear will increase pollution outside the school. They say the proposals “completely undermine” efforts to improve air quality.

Councillors want to stop small streets in Stoke Newington that are plagued by congestion from being used as rat-runs. Instead, they aim to encourage drivers to use the A10 and Stoke Newington Church Street — where William Patten is located — to cross the borough.

Warning: William Patten primary is one of the 50 most polluted schools in London

The council admitted the plans could lead to an increase of up to six per cent in traffic flows in Church Street in a “worst-case scenario”.

Mrs Carey, a journalist, said her son was diagnosed with asthma two years ago when it took doctors at the Homerton Hospital seven hours to stabilise him during an attack. “Nathaniel will have asthma for the rest of his life. It is largely attributable to breathing dirty air,” she said. “I can’t believe the councillors would even consider pushing more traffic past William Patten, where the air quality is already very poor.

“Both options being put forward will send more traffic onto Church Street — it’s over 500 extra vehicles a day. Some will be big diesel engines, buses and lorries ... with fumes passing into the playground.” Nathaniel, who now attends Stoke Newington School, has been hospitalised for three more serious asthma attacks. His sister Matilda, seven, is still at William Patten.

Mrs Carey has written to Mayor Sadiq Khan and local MP Diane Abbott to protest against the proposals.

Last year Mr Khan identified William Patten as one of the 50 most polluted schools in London. A report stated it was one of 27 in Hackney where levels of dirty air breached EU limits. As a result it was selected by the Mayor to take part in an air quality audit.

The public has until next Friday to respond to a consultation on two proposals to stop Walford Road and Barbauld Road being used as rat-runs.

Council officers met teachers and parents yesterday to discuss concerns. Feryal Demirci, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, transport and parks at Hackney, said it anticipated any rise in traffic “would be minimal” and closing roads was a “tried and tested way” of encouraging more walking and cycling. “We expect air pollution levels around the school to improve over the next year,” she added.

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