Local stories

We spoke to long-time resident Ken about the noticeable improvements in air pollution he has experienced in his 30+ years living in South Bank and Waterloo. It’s a story that shows air quality isn’t just something evidenced through sensors and data statistics – it’s visible in the clearer air, reduced smells, and even something as simple as how often the curtains need washing!

Long gone are the days of the infamous London smogs of the 1950’s where you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. But when Ken moved into the area in 1993, pollution remained a very visible problem. “On hot days, you could really smell the fumes – diesel especially – both out in the street and inside the house” shares Ken. Living in a basement flat at the time, Ken remembers having to wash his net curtains every six weeks because they would become coated in soot from outside.

To improve a large wall out the back of his flat he planted honeysuckle and ivy against it and within two years it was fully covered. While much nicer to look at, he reflects this also might have had benefits for their localised air quality, even if marginally.

In the early 2000s he moved near The Cut, directly behind a bus garage, where the same pattern continued. Net curtains still needed frequent washing, and early mornings on windless days revealed visible emissions – “you could actually see the fumes rising up from the garage,” he recalls.

Certain conditions made pollution visibly worse. The most noticeable were “hot days and early mornings if the air was still”. However, Ken emphasised the subtle yet important role the River Thames has played in mitigating air pollution locally. It keeps the air moving with the flow of the river – “it’s very rare for the area to be completely still”, while it also helps dampen dust, Ken explains.

A turning point

A significant shift occurred about the same time as the Covid lockdown. Not only was there less traffic on the roads but Ken noticed the neighbouring bus garage transitioned to an electric fleet. The difference was immediate and measureable in everyday terms:  “now the net curtains only need washing twice a year!”

This is part of a transformation continuing to happen across the area, and London more broadly. The electrification of buses and taxis, alongside policies like the Ultra Low Emission Zone and congestion charging, have noticeably reduced pollution levels.

Ken has also observed a dramatic increase in cycling locally. “When I first arrived, very few people cycled – mainly at weekends because the roads didn’t feel safe”. Now with dedicated cycle lanes and bike hire schemes many more people are cycling. And he notes that the better air quality itself has also encouraged more people to cycle.  

Looking ahead

While air quality is much better now, Ken stresses that more needs to be done. He sees the ultimate goal as a full transition away from diesel and petrol.

He points out that we can’t limit ourselves to thinking solely about transport, with the contribution of domestic heating often overlooked.  Gas boilers remain the norm and when his building looked into replacing theirs with an electric system they were told the street couldn’t cope with the extra demand, and so they went back to gas central heating. It is one example of the hurdles still to overcome to keep improving local air quality.

But having seen the transformation possible over the last thirty years, Ken is optimistic for continued action for cleaner air in South Bank and Waterloo.

Like many parts of central London, exposure to air pollution in South Bank and Waterloo can exceed World Health Organization guidelines¹. While London’s air quality is affected by a number of factors – such as weather, local geography and emissions sources from both within and outside London² – the biggest contributors locally are from freight and deliveries, construction, damp homes, and wood burning³.

In our interactive map you can view the live hourly data from sensors across South Bank and Waterloo and see how air quality changes over the last week and month. These sensors measure some of the most harmful pollutants; nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), both of which are linked to health problems like asthma, coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and type 2 diabetes⁴.

The Greater London Authority and Transport for London created a spatial overview of air quality across London back in 2022. The below image provides a South Bank and Waterloo snapshot from this.

We know that air quality has improved since this overview, with nitrogen dioxide levels meeting legal limits for the first time in 2024⁵, but it reinforces how pollution is not the same everywhere. The worst air quality in our area was along our busy roads. In fact, four of the five most polluted roads in Lambeth are here in the South Bank and Waterloo area: Waterloo Road, York Road, Stamford Street and Westminster Bridge Road⁶.  

Exposure to air pollution doesn’t affect everyone equally. Air pollution is the greatest environmental risk to human health – and in Lambeth and Southwark, where many low-income households and minoritised communities live, people are more likely to be exposed to higher levels of pollution and experience its harmful effects⁶.

Whether you are a resident, business or organisation, help us take action locally by checking out the guidance we have drawn together here.

Sources:

1 Impact on Urban Health: Annual mean PM2.5 concentrations 2019

2 Mayor of London: Pollution and air quality

3 Impact on Urban Health: Health effects of air pollution

4 Impact on Urban Health: Health effects of air pollution

5 London meets legal limits for toxic NO₂ pollution for first time

6 London’s most polluted roads by borough

London’s delivery demand is rising rapidly. By 2030, up to one billion parcels are expected to be delivered across the city each year, driven by online shopping and changing consumer behaviour. At the same time, we know that pollution from freight and deliveries is one of the biggest contributors to our local air quality.

The Waterloo Freight Hub is a pioneering pilot project led by Cross River Partnership that transformed unused space beneath Waterloo Station into a freight and logistics hub for zero emission deliveries. By using electrically assisted cargo bikes it reduced the release of pollutants like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from deliveries, improving local air quality.

Working with local, regional and national partners, the project demonstrated how existing infrastructure can support cleaner, more efficient deliveries in one of London’s busiest neighbourhoods.