An end to idling on Waterloo Road?
9 October 2020
After more than a year of pressure, the Borough Council has installed signs at Tonbridge Station to encourage taxi drivers to turn off their engines while waiting. This will improve the air quality for residents and for the nearby nursery.
Councillor April Clark was thrilled. “Every action makes a difference and the air quality here is amongst the worst in the borough. With the nursery opposite, this small action could make a big difference to the health of our children.”
We are delighted that TMBC have put these signs up and committed to an Anti-idling Policy. However there are further problems looming.
Anthony Bales from Friends of the Earth and Jennifer Bate from Tonbridge and Malling Climate Action Partnership have been addressing the Local Plan Hearings and pointing out that the Plan will have disastrous consequences for air quality around the key Tonbridge and Borough Green sites if approved.
The extra traffic generated will compound existing pollution in the Air Quality Monitoring Areas close to these sites.
The Borough Council has provided no Climate Change evidence base for their proposals either or adequate justification for building 5,000 houses on the Green Belt when alternatives were identified.
Now we need to wait and see what the Inspectors verdict is on what they have heard so far.
