Over a quarter of neighbourhoods breach pollution thresholds

Defra claims that it has a "comprehensive and ambitious" clean air strategy, while its Water (Special Measures) Bill proposes tougher penalties for errant water executives

One in four neighbourhoods in England is a nature-pollution ‘hotspot’, according to new research from Friends of the Earth.

In an effort to drive political change, the environmental campaigning organisation has highlighted the political constituencies where air, water, noise and light pollution levels all exceed safe thresholds for wildlife. Constituencies within London and Manchester top the list, with Chelsea and Fulham identified as the constituency with the highest concentration of pollution hotspots.  

Sienna Somers, Nature Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said: “Successive governments have failed to protect our environment from pollution.

“That’s why we’ve ranked pollution hotspots based on constituencies, so citizens and MPs can see how pollution affects their local area and take action.

"What harms wildlife often harms people. Many of us are forced to breathe the same dirty air and live near sewage-infested rivers. While we can choose to avoid these polluted waters, many precious species cannot steer clear of the pollution we pump into their living rooms. 

"Stronger laws to hold polluters accountable would give power back to communities to defend our rights in court, creating a cleaner and healthier environment for wildlife and people.”

“Light must be recognised legally as an environmental pollutant; the government can then set binding targets for its reduction…”

David Smith, Social Change and Advocacy Manager at Buglife, an organisation devoted to the conservation of invertebrates, said the report was likely to significantly underestimate levels of light pollution. 

He said: “The data used is nearly a decade old. The use of artificial lighting and technology has increased and evolved, with studies suggesting light pollution has increased globally by as much as 10% year-on-year.

“In many species, light pollution affects behaviour, migration, feeding and reproduction. Light must be recognised legally as an environmental pollutant; the government can then set binding targets for its reduction, ensuring that both social needs and ecological concerns are addressed together.”

Chelsea and Fulham identified as the constituency with the highest concentration of pollution hotspots. A spokesperson for Hammersmith and Fulham Council said the borough was grateful to Friends of the Earth for the map: “It shows why this work is so vital and the urgent need to protect people's health.”

The spokesperson added: “We are working with local people to create a cleaner and greener borough through our Green Investment Fund, building new cycle lanes and increasing biodiversity. Meanwhile, our Clean Air Neighbourhoods in South Fulham have helped cut 8,000 polluting car journeys a day.”

Salford, Worsley and Eccles, in Greater Manchester, were ranked just behind Chelsea and Fulham. A Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) spokesperson said they would shortly be consulting on a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for the area that will “set out the ambition and actions needed by everyone across the city-region to tackle the biodiversity emergency”.

Defra responded that it had a "comprehensive and ambitious" clean air strategy to reduce emissions and improve air pollution.

It also said the National Planning Policy Framework included limiting light pollution from artificial light and the Water (Special Measures) Bill would result in tougher penalties, including imprisonment, for water executives if companies fail to co-operate or obstruct investigations.

New legislation would also ban the payment of bonuses to water bosses if they “fail to meet high standards to protect the environment”.