The council has promised to invest £1 million in creating pollution barriers around its primary schools.
The clean air fund aims to cut harmful emissions by bringing in road closures, banning polluting vehicles, replacing old boilers and planting gardens around the schools.
The zones will be funded by Westminster City Council’s D-charge — a surcharge of £2.45 an hour for pre-2015 diesel vehicles parking in areas of the city. The surcharge has raised more than £1 million in its first nine months and reduced the number of polluting vehicles driving through the borough by 14 per cent.
Car exhaust pollution (Image: Wikipedia)
The council said it will also extend its D-charge across the whole borough in phases.
Council leader Nickie Aiken said: “As parents we all want to ensure our children can grow up in a safe and healthy environment.
“Air quality is the number one concern for our residents and it is crucial that we tackle poor air quality for the young people in our schools.
“Introducing the first no-pollution zones in Westminster will cut the number of vehicles around schools, encourage cleaner, greener habits and make a big difference locally.”
Read more: EcoBuild