Delayed expansion of low emission zone under Boris Johnson ‘put poorer Londoners at risk’, inquest told

The delayed expansion of London’s Low Emission Zone when Boris Johnson was Mayor put residents in poorer areas at increased risk from pollution, an inquest has heard.

Larger vans and minibuses were due to be included in the LEZ from October 2010 but the move did not happened until January 2012, justified at the time as giving owners of the vehicles more time to comply during tough economic times.

The decision came under scrutiny today at the inquest of nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah, who died of an acute asthma attack while living in a heavily polluted part of the capital.

Assistant Coroner Philip Barlow is investigating whether air pollution contributed to the schoolgirl’s death in February 2013, after she had been repeatedly treated at hospital for seizures and breathing problems over the previous three years.

Questioning Philip Graham, executive director for Good Growth at the Greater London Authority, the coroner pointed out the health benefits from the LEZ – particularly for people with respiratory and lung problems - were known in 2010.

“Is it fair to say delay in the introduction of LEZ phase 3 is going to affect people with respiratory problems in deprived areas more”, he asked.

Mr Graham replied: “I think that’s likely to be the case.”

At the time of the delay, the Mayor’s transport advisor Kulveer Ranger said the commitment to tackling pollution was being balanced with assisting charities and small businesses with vans and minibuses to cope with the new measures, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash.

“The hope was – and you would be hard pushed to describe it as anything other than a hope – the economy would recover in the coming year and a half, incomes would recover and charities would be in a better position to do this”, said Mr Graham, explaining the decision.

The inquest also heard the Mayor’s 2010 assessment was that London could still meet EU limits on air pollution the following year despite the delayed extension of the LEZ.

Mr Graham said it would have been possible to exempt or refund small businesses and charities who would struggle to pay the LEZ charge, but consideration of that was not in the documents.

The first inquest into Ella’s death in 2014 found the schoolgirl died of acute respiratory failure, but High Court judges have now ordered a new investigation to consider if air pollution was to blame.

Lewisham Council’s head of environmental health, David Edwards, told the hearing yesterday air pollution rates in the borough in the years prior to Ella’s death amounted to a “public health emergency”, but the youngster’s mother, Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, had not been told of the dangers.

"Mrs Kissi-Debrah was never told about the risk of air pollution and relationship with asthma", said Richard Hermer QC, representing Ella’s family.

"She is precisely the sort of person who should have been told about the risks."

Mr Edwards replied: "I think so, yes", adding: “Information dissemination in this case was not effective, not getting through to the right people."

Transport for London, the Department of Health, the Department for Transport, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Mayor of London’s office, and Lewisham Council are all interested parties in the inquest, which is due to last until the end of next week.

The hearing continues.

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