About air quality in Lewisham
Lewisham stretches from Deptford in the north down to Catford and Forest Hill, with the A20 and South Circular cutting through the borough. The A20 Sidcup Road corridor and the New Cross / Lewisham gyratory are persistent NO₂ hotspots; background levels in residential areas have improved with the ULEZ extension but remain above the WHO 2021 annual guideline for PM₂.₅.
The borough overlaps with the Greenwich and Bromley monitoring footprints; PM₂.₅ in particular tracks regional rather than borough boundaries. Coverage is thinner south of Catford, so the borough-level verdict here is most reliable for the northern half.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-04