NEW MALDEN RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION

THE  AIR  OF NEW  MALDEN

It all started with our members. Questions about Air Quality in and around New Malden were being raised more and more as winter was coming to an end and people were getting out and about. 

It took considerable organising but a public meeting was held with the eminent Prof. Frank Kelly, attended by our Members, Councillors, and James Berry MP. That was at the beginning of September, even before that meeting we were taking steps to obtain our own equipment in order for the Association to assess for itself, the state of the air we all breath daily.

A3 Illuminated Sign - Malden Roundabout

Following this item being discussed at the past two Malden & Coombe Neighbourhood Committee Meetings in March and June, a meeting was 
finally arranged with three representatives from Tfl on 14th July 2017, together with our member who had originally brought the complaint to our
attention and two members of the NM Residents’ Committee.

The three personnel from Tfl saw the sign both from the slip road leading down to the A3 from the Malden Roundabout and from the rear of 
No 14 St James Close.   They all agreed that the sign was in excess of 40 cdm and agreed that residents in St James Close had a justified complaint.

The following actions were agreed upon at this meeting:

1.   The illumination of the sign should be set at 40 cdm (candelas per square meter)

2. 2. The LAPD (the company who wrote the Report) classification of the area is incorrect.   The Report states it is E4 - generally urban areas with 
   mixed recreational and commercial land use with high night-time activity.Did the person who gave this classification actually visit the area?   
   It is an A road with residential land use on either side, and little night-time activity other than vehicular traffic.The classification should be Zone 3 - Suburban. 
   NMRA asked for written confirmation of whether the correct classification would affect the permitted level of illumination. NMRA also noted that the modelled 
   levels of illumination implied a canyon effect, whereas the light spilled across a much wider area.

3. 3. The question was put as to whether the sign could be turned off overnight so that the illumination would not interfere with residents’ sleep to which they 
   should be entitled.   As traffic is minimal during certain hours of darkness, we feel this should not be a problem.

4. 4. Tfl confirmed there is a central point for turning down the screen, I.e. an automatic system which does not rely on controls in the sign itself.  
    This should mean that any problem with excess illumination should be able to be remedied by residents easily.

5. Confirmation on this point would be appreciated.

6. In addition to the above, the copper cladding on the side of the A3 reflects the illumination and adds to the discomfort of residents. 
     Tfl confirmed that this cladding was at the wishes of Kingston Council and not of Tfl.   An approach should be made to Kingston Council regarding this additional problem.

The New Malden Residents’ Association feels very strongly that neither Tfl nor Kingston Council took into account the interference that this sign could cause residents
in the nearby area.   As far as we are aware, there were no visits to the houses on either side of the A3 and certainly there was no check on the brightness of the illumination 
when the sign was erected.   

We are of the opinion that both Tfl and Kingston Council have a duty of care towards residents.

We also feel that there is a safety issue in connection with this sign.   We are constantly told not to use mobile ‘phones when driving and yet it is considered
“safe” to look away from the road to a sign positioned above.  The advertisements are not just pictures - writing, website addresses etc. - presumably to be read.

Our main concern obviously is the complaint by Mrs Papangelou, but we do consider that there is a greater safety issue with this, and other signs, over motorways.  

We are now awaiting a response from Tfl following this meeting.   However, at the time of writing, our member has not noticed any diminution of the sign and neither 
has this committee member.

The Association has had the results from Gradko Environmental Testing Laboratories:
The full report  commissioned by NMRA can be read  here.
Below are the locations - period of testing and the results in micrograms per cubic metre.
RBK's policy is not to exceed an annual mean of 40 micrograms/m3. Seven of our readings are near the annual permissible mean. 

The HIgh Street reading is clearly the worst at 51.75 micrograms: there is a margin of error on all samples so the reading could be
49.06 - 54.44. The Fountain and Burlington School are also poor. We are particularly concerned about Burlington, since the school 
playground is there and air pollution has a particularly harmful effect on childrens lungs. 
We plan to do some more data gathering in the new year.

LOCATION                                         PERIOD EXPOSED                      NITROGEN DIOXIDE
                                                                                                                    MICROGRAMS PER
                                                                                                                        CUBIC METRE

Hoppingwood Road                                          A                                              25.61

Lime Grove                                                        A                                              24.47

Elm Road                                                           A                                              24.39

Kingston Road/South Lane                             A                                              39.02

Bodley Road                                                     A                                              41.02

Fountain Roundabout                                      A                                              49.17

South Lane/Malden Road                                A                                              40.18

Burlington School                                            A                                              44.50

Blagdon Road/Beverley Road                         A                                              37.32

Blagdon Road / High Street                             B                                             51.75

A = 24th September till 21st October

B = 23rd September till 21st October