The Great West Hedge is attracting loads of support as organisations near to the A4 find out about it. A National Park City Champion, Abundance London and the Chiswick Oasis are proposing the creation of The Great West Hedge to mark the launch on 22nd July of London National Park City – a protective and attractive hedge along both sides of the A4, the Great West Road, to provide protection against motor vehicle pollution for pedestrians, cyclists, residents and schoolchildren.

Every day more evidence is published that shows the dangers of air pollution to our health, especially for children and the elderly. Increasingly evidence is growing that proves a protective barrier of greenery can help filter and screen out the worst of these pollutants.

Between Chiswick and Hammersmith – part of the area left out of the brand new ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) – are eight schools, six nurseries and six playgrounds/parks within a few metres of the A4. These are amongst the most polluted in London.

A Chiswick-based National Park City Champion, along with Abundance and Chiswick Oasis (putting a green wall into the playground at St Mary’s School), are asking Transport for London to support our plea to create a protective screen of living greenery, behind which the schools can breathe, pedestrians can walk, people can cycle, residents can live safely. As the planting thickens out and more people drive electric, the hedges can harbour biodiversity and will provide more protection against noise, dust and pollution. Other advantages include sustainable drainage (SuDS) and carbon capture.

The hedge is proposed as a Living Laboratory, trialling different approaches and measuring the impact providing an experiment in green infrastructure that could be repeated throughout the country. We are offering to partner with TfL for citizen science and any other assistance. We have the whole-hearted support of neighbouring schools, nurseries, residents’ associations, amenity groups and businesses along this stretch of the A4. If you are an organisation that would like to add your support, please get in touch.

We propose that the Mayor, the Greater London Assembly and Transport for London support this project as a fitting launch this July for the London National Park City. The hedge should be installed in the winter of 2019/20.