Project Stage 1
Clean Air Barnet (CAB) has been created as part of the Breathe London initiative to raise awareness about our local air quality and encourage action to both improve it and protect health. Visit their excellent website which explains the data and compares real time results from monitors across the whole of London.
The strategy pointed to the poor air quality in Golders Green, worse than areas in central London, and since then a member of the Town Team, working with Middlesex University, got funding to install an air monitor outside the bus and tube station.
Recent data shows that while the air quality in Golders Green meets current UK targets it does not meet the more stringent WHO guidance for healthy air.
The node was attached to a lamppost, opposite the Hippodrome next to Golders Green tube station. This project
We created a report based on the data gathered from the Breathe monitor at GG Breathe Barnet 2024:
In the first six months of this year, 11 Breathe London Air Quality monitors across Barnet measured μg/m3 concentrations of NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide) and PM2.5 (small particulate matter), While lack of funding caused the Golders Green monitor to cease operating in May 2024, its data is included in the analysis.
A summary of the data shows that air quality in Barnet:
- exceeded the World Health Organisation (WHO) annual targets for breaches of daily average concentrations
- is not as good as many other locations across London
- varies on a monthly and daily basis
- is high on the same days at many locations across the borough
Barnet Year-to-date averages
The following charts show the year-to-date averages for the 11 Barnet locations in descending order of concentration level. Interestingly, out of the Barnet locations, Golders Green Bus Station has the worst NO2 levels, but best PM2.5 levels in comparison.
Project Stage 2
Clean Air Barnet will now make a further analysis based on findings from the proposed portable monitors which we need up to 8 volunteers for. We will draw these helpers from the Golders Green Town Team. Please join us if interested.
The portable app-enabled Atmo Tube collects both indoor and outdoor data, so the monitors can really go anywhere with you.
