The pupils of George Spicer Primary School have had a living green wall installed on the Southbury Road side of their playgrounds.
This vertical garden of growing ivy should reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions in their playground by up to 20 per cent and help to protect the children from transport noises from one of the busiest roads in Enfield, the Southbury Road.
The Council has a commitment to become a carbon neutral organisation by 2030 and for Enfield to contribute to London-wide carbon neutrality. The efforts will be led by the Climate Change Task Force which is chaired by Enfield Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Ian Barnes.
Headteacher, Dominic Spong, said: “We are delighted that the living green wall is now installed. This has been something I have been very keen to see happen for everyone. Not only will it enhance the quality of the air for the children, but additional green plants are always aesthetically pleasing in built up environments. With thanks to Enfield Council for supporting this project.”
Cllr Barnes, said: “A green wall is an effective, low-cost way of removing pollutants from the air our children breath. However, as London continues to battle with high levels of air pollution, predominantly caused by road vehicles, we need to be looking at nimble, long-lasting solutions. This is why the Climate Change Task Force is building on progress we’ve already made as a Council to reduce our carbon footprint and is introducing initiatives to improve residents’ quality of life.”
The Cabinet member for Children’s Services, Cllr Rick Jewell, added, “Every child deserves to be able to learn and play in an environment with clean air. In addition to the environmental health benefits, the wall will contribute to outdoor project based learning and inspire critical thinking about the environment.”
Enfield Council is working with a number of schools in the borough to think of innovative ways to improve air quality and safety. Meanwhile, to tackle the escalating levels of pollution at peak times on road networks around schools, Enfield Council is looking to introduce School Streets. A School Street is when roads immediately surrounding a school are closed to vehicle traffic during set times at drop off and pick up. You can read more about them at Cycle Enfield and there will be some exciting news about the first School Streets projects in coming months.
Find out more about the Climate Change Task Force.