Cooler Streets for West Harrow Petition

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Background

This Summer has seen multiple heat waves, the hottest May on record, the driest July and already a record number of days over 30oC.

Hotter summers are becoming more common. West Harrow needs more shade, more trees and cooler streets.

Trees and green planting can provide shade, improve air quality and make our communities more resilient to extreme weather. Local authorities across London are increasingly recognising the importance of greener streets as part of adapting to a changing climate.

The dark asphalt extensively used for our pavements absorbs and retains large amounts of heat, making pavements significantly hotter during heatwaves whilst releasing harmful toxins as it heats. This summer when temperatures reached 30 oC, we recorded temperatures of 65oC+ on our pavements in West Harrow.

We want West Harrow to be better prepared for the future.

 

Petition Statement

We call on Harrow Council to make West Harrow a priority area for a Cooler Streets Programme to reduce the impact of extreme heat and create a greener, healthier community. Investing in cooler streets is an investment in the wellbeing of current and future residents. This must be tackled now, or we will leave an awful legacy for our future residents.

What We Are Asking For

We ask Harrow Council to:

  1. Increase street tree planting across West Harrow and create more opportunities for shade, particularly in areas with limited shade and low tree cover.
  2. Review the materials used on pavements, footways and public spaces, and explore cooler, more sustainable alternatives where appropriate for future developments.
  3. Provide information and resources to support residents, schools and community organisations
  4. Develop a long-term plan for extreme heat resilience, using West Harrow as a model for future initiatives across Harrow.

The time for action is now to start delivering Cooler Streets for West Harrow. It is already too hot on our streets, and we urgently need the council to take the bold steps required to prepare for the hotter Summers we and future generations will face.

 

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