Been worried about air quality for years. As a kid in the city where I grew up, the school authorities used to force us to cancel afternoon sports practices due to smog. So it's been awful witnessing the same thing again in Bowes.

A few years ago I had Enfield Council's Sustainability scrutiny look at the existing air quality sensors. They really weren't good enough. So went out a while back (ostensibly as part of a "smart cities" agenda) to doorstep Intel. And wangled about 100 free air quality sensors out of them. See http://boweslabour.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/enfield-working-with-inte...

and

http://www.enfield.gov.uk/news/article/1020/pollution_kept_in_check...

X number of these sensors are to be rolled out in Bowes to gain a more granular understanding of air quality at different distances from the North Circular. Hopefully to inform behaviour.  This will directly involve the community - watch this space imminently

In the mean time, I totally support our friend Tom S. representing my fellow Bowes Primary governors (plus the School leadership) with the strong steps they are taking to protect the children. This is a crisis and although the big picture is too many cars in London (thus insufficient public transportation alternatives) - not to mention some fairly wimpy stands taken by Boris at his first GLA election re: not enforcing maximum car pollution standards - short-term we need to react as Tom and friends are doing.

Long-term the case has to be more obvious than ever to anyone criticising our moves to increase cycling in Enfield (see Mini-Holland bid)  that today's automobile-centric society has flaws.