InfoIslington - Islington Reference Library

Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment

This report published in 2011 was part of the wider Drain London project. This study has not identified any past floods that are considered to have had significant harmful consequences. This is based on the following local definition of harmful consequences: ‘Memorable past floods or otherwise registered on a national scale (such as the summer 2007 event) even if only occurring over a relatively small area.’

Future flood risk is estimated to be high in the borough. Based on the Drain London surface modelling outputs, approximately 16,400 properties are estimated to be at risk from flooding during a rainfall event with a 1 in 200 annual chance of occurring.

Air Quality Draft Report

A number of recommendations to improve air quality in Islington have been put forward in a draft report to the borough council.

Suggestions include funding to investigate the implementation of a borough-wide Low Emission Zone (LEZ), low-cost cycle tracks, setting up an air quality working group and planting particular species of vegetation that can improve air quality.

The ‘Air quality – draft report of the regeneration and employment review committee’ document was put together by the council’s Air Quality Scrutiny Panel, which is chaired by Liberal Democrat councillor Greg Foxsmith.

It follows the council’s Air Quality Review, which ran from July 2012 until March 2013, taking evidence from campaigners, scientists, council officers and Greater London Authority (GLA) advisers.

The draft report will need final approval from the council before its suggested actions can be taken forward.

One of the major recommendations in the report is the need for the council to work more closely with neighbouring borough councils on specific projects, because “often air pollution in Islington was caused by sources elsewhere in London or even further afield.”

As part of this, the report proposes holding a second air quality summit with Camden borough council in Islington in 2013, following a previous summit in 2011.

The panel suggests that the council increase its engagement with businesses in order to encourage them to reduce emissions. Methods suggested include low emissions deliveries via electric vehicles or bicycles; providing showers and bike storage facilities for employees; bicycle purchase loan schemes for employees; and replacing old boilers with low-nitrogen oxide emitting boilers.

Energy Strategy 2013-2016

The Energy Strategy adopted by the Executive Committee on 7 February 2013 has a five point plan:

Making fuel cheaper so that people can afford to stay warm

Providing Green jobs for local people through the development of a green economy

Keeping residents warmer by developing improving the fuel efficiency and better insulating Islington housing stock

Homes people can afford by ensuring that new housing is genuinely affordable in terms of its energy efficiency rating and cost of heating

Providing an alternative to private energy companies through Islington owned power stations and brokering better fuel prices for our residents.

CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme

The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme was introduced by government in 2008. Organisations that meet the qualification criteria, based on how much electricity they consumed in 2008, are obliged to participate in the CRC.

As well as reducing carbon emissions, the scheme will help organisations save money by reducing their energy bills. The better an organisation performs in terms of cutting its emissions, the higher it will appear in the annual performance league table.

In the latest published table for 2011/12 Islington was ranked 1301 with emissions of  23017 tonnes of CO2.

 

London's Quality of Life Indicators 2012

The London Sustainable Development Commission’s fourth Quality of Life Indicators report was launched at City Hall on 30th January 2013. The report provides a snapshot of London’s quality of life and identifies the sustainability issues London faces. The indicator set encompasses 33 headline indicators across the environmental, social and economic spheres. It provides baseline data that will inform the Commission’s future work programme and advice to the Mayor.

The LSDC produced the first Quality of Life Indicators Report in 2004 and subsequent reports were produced in 2005 and 2009.  The previous reports can be found on the LSC's website.

Air Pollution in London

An issues paper by the Greater London Authority Health and Environment Committee highlights the long-term health impact of toxic pollutants, which have been linked to life-shortening lung and heart conditions, breast cancer and diabetes.  It is estimated there are over 4,000 extra deaths each year in London from particulates and health costs are estimated at up to £20 billion a year – twice the cost of obesity. 

According to recent official figues highlighted in the paper, the percentage of deaths attributable to man-made airborne particles was highest in the City of London (9 per cent), Westminster (8.3 per cent), Kensington and Chelsea (8.3 per cent) and Tower Hamlets (8.1 per cent).  Bromley and Havering (both 6.3 per cent) had the lowest proportion in London, though are still above the England average of 5.6 percent. 

The paper sets out a number of pressing issues, including:

• Concentrations of both PM and NO₂ remain too high in London and further action is needed to protect public health and prevent potential large fines^[5] from exceeding EU limits.
• The most polluting vehicles on London’s roads are diesel. Options for reducing emissions should be considered, such as imposing stricter standards for diesel vehicles within the Low Emission Zone.  
• Retrofitting older buses with new technology could cut NO_x emissions by more than 70 per cent.  Some Committee Members believe TfL should do more to find innovative and bold solutions to emissions from its fleet.
• Greater promotion of cleaner technologies, such as electric vehicles, walking and cycling, could also be considered.

Socially Just Adaptation to Climate Change

This study from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation explores how far social justice is incorporated into adaptation planning using case studies from Islington, the Highlands and York.

Properties Susceptible to Surface Water Flooding

 This table shows settlements in England ranked by the estimated number of properties susceptible to surface water flooding resulting from severe rainfall. The information is based on the best information currently available in August 2009. The information shows the relative effect between settlements across England if they were subjected to similar severe rainfall conditions and should not be interpreted as showing the definitive number of properties at risk in any settlement.

Islington came sixth in the table with 19,800 properties at risk.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions Within the Scope of Loal Authorities

This dataset from the Department of Energy and Clinmate Change  measures end-user carbon dioxide emissions in the local area from the industrial, domestic and transport sector. It relies on a draw-down of information from the National Inventory of Greenhouse Gas emissions and covers the years 2005-2010.

The Council’s Winter Maintenance Programme and Response to Cold Weather Scrutiny Review

This review published in October 2011 had the objectives:

 To look at the performance of the Council’s Winter Maintenance Programme and Response to Cold Weather over the last three years.

To look at whether the recommendations of the Winter Maintenance Plan had been followed.

To consider any changes that would help the Council deal with any cold weather in the 2011/12 winter period and in future years.