A Solution To Pollution?
Why does London still struggle to breathe? This has been an issue since the industrial revolution and, despite monumental advances in technology, remains one of the capital’s greatest challenges. Whilst contaminated air is now largely in the public consciousness it is not broadly understood just how bad London’s air quality has become. the City has suffered from Illegal levels of air pollution since 2010 and this includes dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide, largely as a result of diesel vehicles.
Fortunately there has been a dramatic shift in transport utilisation with a large increase of cyclists on the road and the likes of the congestion charge also helping to reduce the number of vehicles.
Futhermore, airqualitynews.com report that the City of London Corporation has been granted a further £1m to improve measures further.
Sadiq Khan's Air Quality Fund is setting up projects to tackle air pollution with the help of the London Borough of Camden and The Cross River Partnership. There have already been talks with ‘Pan-London' a group which focusses predominantly on addressing idling vehicles. Together, the partnership will try to create new measures to discourage drivers from leaving their engines on while parked.
The Cross River Partnership, meanwhile has been looking at the idea of ‘Clean Air Thames Project' which will include the retrofitting of 11 passenger vehicles operating on the River Thames.
A disproportionate contributor to London’s air pollution is the fleet of iconic black cabs, which take up £30m of the zero-emission fund and are responsible for approximately 25% of the harmful emissions in the region. Within the next few years, they will be the single greatest source of transport pollution in central London.
A new fleet of black cabs will be fitted with innovative air cleaners, containing unique patented nano carbon filtration technology. Studies suggest that the new cabs will remove around 97% particulate matter and up to 95 percent of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from the air inside the cab within ten minutes. The tech has been funded/created by Barclays and AirLabs and should go some way to reducing the carbon footprint of the taxis.
Two new tenants at 12 Arthur Street
Two lettings have recently completed at 12 Arthur Street, with the first of a new round of tenants opting to take up residence in the City Core building.
The second-floor offices (9,845 sq ft) have been let to Broadridge Financial Solutions while Mindtree will occupy the 10,204 sq ft fifth floor.
The Landlord, CIT, is undertaking a rolling refurbishment of the building, set to be completed at the start of 2020, with the second and the fifth floors comprising the first phase of the scheme.
Toby Croft, Director, CIT said: "The new-look entrance foyer with high-end lighting and finishes, alongside the improvements to common areas and CAT A refurbishment of the second and fifth floors has successfully repositioned the building to appeal to occupiers looking for contemporary and stylish space in the heart of the city.
Broadridge Financial and Mindtree are excellent additions to the tenant mix and we look forward to bringing the remaining floors up to the same standard as we work towards completing the full refurbishment by early 2020.”
Museum of London’s new £332m home
First plans have been revealed showing an early insight the new Museum of London home at Farringdon.
The plans aim to convert the building into a 24-hour destination, alongside neighbours such as the meat market and Fabric nightclub.
It has been revealed that the cost of the project has increased by more than £80 million as the transformation was originally expected to cost £250m.
The new building is set to open in 2024 with the planning application to be submitted later this year.
Museum director Sharon Ament said: “We will be inhabiting what I believe is one of the most 24-hour parts of London.
"Do I think we'll be opening at 3 am? Maybe sometimes. Who knows, maybe we'll have an all-night festival a couple of times a year?"
It may also include proposals to link the spaces below ground with a tunnel under the Thameslink tracks that run below the site. Plans for a sunken garden and a well reaching down to the waters of the River Fleet, which flows beneath the streets of Farringdon.
