Dark kitchens in Islington are facing increased scrutiny due to concerns about air pollution and harmful emissions, a topic raised during a recent Islington Council meeting.
During the meeting, a member of the public questioned how the council justifies permitting delivery-only kitchen hubs near schools, homes, and transport routes, particularly concerning a proposal for 20 new units in Roman Way Industrial Estate.
The resident asked whether the council would urgently put in place a policy to protect residents from the damaging impacts of dark kitchens, given that dark kitchens are setting up illegally in breach of planning and estate policies, such as on the Roman Way Estate.
Councillor Rowena Champion, Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality & Transport, responded to a similar question from Lucy Facer about the council's plans to publish an up to date Air Quality strategy plan. Councillor Champion stated that an updated air quality action plan is due for public consultation later this month in September. She noted that commercial cooking is coming up as one of the more impactful activities and that the council is committed to delivering a robust strategy to address later challenges.
When asked how a new draft strategy can ensure that all council departments such as planning take the deadly impact of air pollution seriously and factor it into their decision making processes, Councillor Champion said that officers, including the planning team, do take air quality seriously, and that the council will continue to have conversations about the impact on health and wellbeing of air pollution.
