About air quality in Southwark
Southwark sits along the South Bank, with the Old Kent Road corridor and the Walworth Road as its busiest air quality hotspots. Background levels across the borough have improved since the ULEZ extension in 2023, but roadside NO₂ remains a significant exposure for residents along major routes.
PM₂.₅ across Southwark is driven primarily by transport and weather; NO₂ continues to track tightly with traffic. Several wards — particularly around Camberwell and Bermondsey — have no nearby monitoring site, so the borough-level verdict here is necessarily incomplete. We’re happy to discuss siting additional monitors with the council.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-23