TVT and Nuffield Health want to develop a greenfield site next to a road which they know is already polluted and congested. What’s the harm of more than a couple of thousand additional commutes (over 1,300 new commuters) each day? 

The toxic chemicals released around this area (right now) are above recommended limits. 226 Wallisdown Road (outside of which traffic is congested every day) is in the 75th national percentile for pollution. This is very close to a local primary school, which also sees pollution levels over the recommended limits every day. 

Some of the facts about the levels of chemicals and their effects in this area, from address pollution.org (specific address 226 Wallisdown Road):

Pollutant one: PM2.5

At this address, the annual average of the pollutant PM2.5 is 10.47mcg/m3. The World Health Organization limit is 5mcg/m3. 

This study shows 19.9% of strokes were attributed to exposure (for a year or more) of PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 10mcg/m3. 

PM2.5 can also cause asthma, jeopardize lung functions and promote cancer.

Pollutant two: PM10

The reading for PM10 at this address is 18.32mcg/m3. The limit is 15mcg/m3.

Cardiovascular mortality increases by 0.76% and respiratory mortality by 0.58% for every 10mcg/m3 increase of PM10.

PM10 can cause wheezing, bronchitis and reduce lung development.

Pollutant three: NO2 

The reading for N02 at this address is 22.40mcg/m3. The limit is 10mcg/m3. 

Exposure (for a year or more) to 30mcg leads to a 5.5% increased risk of disease related mortality.

It is inconceivable that a healthcare organisation should disregard these facts. And yet, that’s exactly what they’re doing.

What about if a proportion of employees cycle/walk to work? Well! Who in their right mind would want to cycle through all that congestion and right in the heart of that polluted air every day? It literally stinks, and not just at peak times.

Have they assessed the distance of each of these additional commutes each day? People coming to work from West Dorset, Verwood or Southampton, for example, are unlikely to be able to cycle to work. Are patients with health issues, travelling to the site for procedures (particularly invasive ones) going to be willing, or be able to walk/cycle in for these and walk/cycle home again? And who has time to take time out of work for a health assessment, for example, to walk/cycle to the hospital and walk/cycle back to work again? It’s pie in the sky.

Nobody who has to travel this route wants more traffic on it on a daily basis. Other factors will also increase the amount of traffic over time. We should be finding ways to regulate the traffic and limit journeys along this route, not increase them. The infrastructure in this mostly residential area has not been designed for developments like this.

This application needs to be rejected for the good of everyone, for so many reasons. Local people’s health must be considered. 

You can oppose the planning application at:

https://boppa.poole.gov.uk/online-applications/

Ref. APP/22/01455/F

Want to check pollution levels where you live? See addresspollution.org.

See below for link to page where chemical stats were sourced.

https://addresspollution.org/results/dcafdd82-8056-4863-8483-3498a7528b5e