Pollution issues

• Air quality
• Air pollution alerts
• Water quality
• Contaminated land
• Smoke control areas
• Waste management
• Radioactive substances 
• Pollution prevention and control
• Reducing the impact of vehicles on the environment
• Smoky vehicles
• Make a complaint

What's new?
Information on drive electric scheme and how to register

Air quality in Wandsworth

Pollutants and their sources
The main air pollutants of concern are:

• nitrogen dioxide - associated with vehicle exhausts, combustion processes and some industrial processes
• sulphur dioxide - mostly from the combustion of oil and solid fuel, but also from diesel vehicles
• carbon monoxide - from vehicle exhausts and poorly operated boiler plant particles
• very fine particles emitted from vehicle exhausts, combustion processes and industrial sources. Usually referred to as 'PM10' - particles less than 10 microns in diameter. A micron is a thousandth of a millimetre.
• Benzene - an organic chemical emitted in exhausts and also during refuelling.
• 1,3 Butadiene - another organic chemical emitted in exhausts and also from some industrial processes
• lead - mostly from leaded petrol
• ozone

Air quality monitoring
We are presently monitoring air quality at two sites in the borough. All this data is coordinated across London and details of the readings in Wandsworth and other areas can be obtained from the Environmental Research Group of King's College, London web site.

A daily summary of air quality in the borough can be heard by calling our air quality line on 020 8871 6433 or by visiting the link above.

Air quality review and assessment
We have carried out a review and assessment of air quality in the Borough and you can download a copy in pdf format.

 Air quality - Review and assessment report (1.9 mb)

As a result of the first round of the air quality review and assessment process we have declared the whole of the borough an air quality management area. In 2004 the borough was required to complete an Updating and Screening assessment of Air Quality under the second round of review and assessment, to fulfill its objectives. The report provides a new assessment to identify those matters that have changed since the last round of review and assessment, and which might lead to a risk of the objectives being exceeded. The outcome of this report is that no further detailed assessment is required as the exceedences of the air quality objectives were already identified in the first round of review and assessment. The Updating and Screening Assessment can be downloaded below.

 Air quality - Updating and screening assessment (1.3 mb)

In 2005 we were required to complete a Progress Report on Air Quality under the second round of review and assessment. The aim of the Progress Report is to report progress on implementing local air quality management and report progress in achieving concentrations below the air quality objectives. In order to do this the  progress report provides information on new monitoring results, and any new local developments that might affect air quality since the time that the Updating and Screening Assessment was produced. The Progress Report can be downloaded below.

 Air quality action plan - Progress report 2005 (747 kb)

In 2006 we were required to complete an Updating and Screening assessment of Air Quality under the third round of review and assessment, to fulfill its objectives. The report provides a new assessment to identify those matters that have changed since the last round of review and assessment, and which might lead to a risk of the objectives being exceeded. The outcome of this report is that no further detailed assessment is required as the exceedences of the air quality objectives were already identified in the earlier rounds of review and assessment. The Updating and Screening Assessment can be downloaded below.

 Air Quality - Updating and Screening Assessment 2006 (762 kb)

2007 Air Quality Progress Report
In 2007 we were required to complete a Progress Report on Air Quality under the third round of review and assessment. The aim of the Progress Report is to report progress on implementing local air quality management and report progress in achieving concentrations below the air quality objectives. In order to do this the progress report provides information on new monitoring results, and any new local developments that might affect air quality since the time that the last review and assessment undertaken (Updating and Screening Assessment 2006). The progress report is divided into two parts, as it provides progress in terms of the review and assessment system and in terms of the implementation of the measures within the air quality action plan. The Progress Report can be downloaded below.

 Air Quality - Progress Report 2007

2008 Air Quality Progress Report
In 2008 we were required to complete a Progress Report on Air Quality under the third round of review and assessment. The progress report is divided into two parts, as it provides progress in terms of the local air quality management and in terms of the implementation of the measures within the air quality action plan. The progress report provides information on new monitoring results, and any new local developments that might affect air quality since the time that the last review and assessment (Updating and Screening Assessment 2006) and the last progress report (Progress Report 2007) were undertaken. The Progress Report can be downloaded below.

 Air Quality - Progress Report 2008

Air Quality Action Plan
The Environment Act 1995 states that where an Air Quality Management Area is designated, a local authority shall prepare an action plan to demonstrate how the authority intends to pursue the achievement of air quality standards and objectives in the area.

An air quality action plan should include those measures that the local authority intends to implement to ensure that, in future, air quality will meet national air quality standards.

The Air Quality Action Plan for Wandsworth can be downloaded from the link below, together with the maps refered to in the document, Appendix C. The document and maps are available in Adobe's pdf format and you can download Adobe Reader free of charge from Adobe.

 Final air quality action plan January 2004 (930 kb)
 Appendix C, figure 1 map (3.40 mb)
 Appendix C, figure 2 map (2.66 mb)

In 2006 we were required to complete a progress report on the progress towards the completion of actions designated within the air quality action plan to achieve air quality improvements within the borough. The progress report can be dowloaded below.

 Air Quality Action Plan Progress Report 2006 (460 kb)

Waste management
The UK produces around 400 million tonnes of waste annually - a quarter of which is from households and business. The rest comes from construction and demolition, sewage sludge, farm waste and spoils from mines and dredging of rivers. Domestic waste is a small proportion of the total - around 30 million.

The Environment Agency is the authority responsible for the regulation of the waste industry. They are responsible for ensuring waste produced in England and Wales is correctly disposed of. They work with industry, local authorities and Government to ensure that hazardous waste is dealt with so that it does not pose a threat to human health or the environment. They encourage reuse and recycling and support the development of facilities to deal with hazardous waste.

The Environment Agency has a duty to maintain a public register of waste management licences that they grant, and current or recent applications to the authority for licences. The registers are available on the Environment Agency website. They are fully searchable and companies can be traced by entering various fields including Postcode, Town, Company name or Licence, registration or permit number.

In addition, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 also places a duty on waste collection authorities to maintain a public register containing copies of the waste management licences as they relate to the treatment, keeping or disposal of controlled waste within the local authority's area. The Environmental Services Division maintains the public register.

 Details of sites operating with in the borough (23 kb)

The register is available for inspection free of charge from the One Stop Shop, 5th Floor The Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 2PU during normal office hours. Members of the public are entitled to take details of entries on the register, or request photocopies, for which a reasonable charge will be made.

Radioactive substances
The keeping and use of radioactive materials and the accumulation and disposal of radioactive wastes is controlled through the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The Act is enforced on behalf of the Secretary of State by the Environment Agency in England and Wales. Anybody who keeps or uses radioactive materials, including mobile apparatus, must apply for registration under the Radioactive Substances Act. In granting a certificate of registration, the Environment Agency may impose such conditions as it thinks fit; these may include alterations to the premises, requirements as to apparatus or equipment used or to be used, restrictions on selling or supplying radioactive materials from the premises.

Copies of all applications, authorisations and registrations under the Radioactive Substances Act, and other relevant documentation, including details of enforcement or prohibition notices, and records of any convictions are required to be made publicly available by the Environment Agency. Register information is available on the Environment Agency website. The information is fully searchable and companies can be traced by entering various fields including Postcode, Town, Company name or Licence, registration or permit number.

In addition a public register containing this information is maintained by us, and updated with information from the Environment Agency, as necessary. The register is available for inspection free of charge at the One Stop Shop, 5th Floor The Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 2PU during normal office hours. Members of the public are entitled to take details of entries on the register, or request photocopies, for which a reasonable charge will be made.

Smoke control areas
Smoke Control Areas are designed to control emissions from domestic chimneys caused by the burning of coal and wood inside domestic dwellings.

All properties within the borough are within a smoke control area.

You can download an advice leaflet on smoke control areas in Adobe's pdf format.

 Smoke control areas (769 kb)
 
In smoke control areas it is an offence under the Clean Air Act 1956 (now replaced by the Clean Air Act 1993) to emit smoke from a chimney as a result of burning an unauthorised fuel (e.g. bituminous coal or wood) or to use an appliance which is not specifically exempted.

If you live in an Smoke Control Area you are committing an offence if you:

• allow smoke emissions from the chimney of a building;
• obtain and use solid fuel, other than authorised fuel;
• sell solid fuel, other than authorised fuel, for use in premises located within an SCA.

There are some exceptions, for example where:

• the fuel being used is authorised by the SCA (Authorised Fuels) Regulations;
• the fuel is being burnt on a fireplace exempted by a SCA (Exempted Fireplace) Order;

Only 'authorised smokeless fuels' are allowed to be used within the borough, these include solid smokeless fuels [such as coke, coalite, sunbright etc],gas and oil. Your fuel supplier will be able to advise you on the most suitable fuel for your heating/cooking appliance. Get a list of authorised fuels and view a list of exempted fireplaces.

Smoke control legislation does not apply to garden bonfires, we do however try to discourage people from having garden bonfires which can cause serious nuisance to neighbouring properties. Further advice is available in the bonfires section on this site.