Why One East Greenwich Resident Is Challenging The Greenwich Cruise Liner Terminal Approval

by Benson Agoha | Greenwich

Major fillips to the approval of London's first Cruise Liner Terminal for Greenwich included that it will provide a major boost to tourism, benefit the local economy and further contribute to London’s status as a world leading city.

But this Tuesday morning, a case was being heard at the High Court, calling for a judicial review into the approval.

The case instigated by a resident and member of the East Greenwich Resident Association asserts that the terminal will be source of a huge air pollution that will adversely affect the local area.

At the Court, the prosecutor is expect to argue that cruise liners can be a source of pollution, particularly if they are sailing in for a long stay.

In a statement posted on its website, EGRA said Royal Greenwich's December 2015 decision, granting permission for an international cruise liner terminal on the Thames was done without adequate assessment of the environmental impact of the siting.

EGRA has been at the fore front of the campaign for cleaner air in and around the royal borough of Greenwich and has, on previous meetings sought and considered various initiatives to help monitor air quality.

The grounds for the court case are:

* That there has been inadequate assessment of the air pollution that will arise from ships and associated development.
* That Local residents have consistently called for clean onshore power supply to be provided to avoid dangerous emissions from ship’s diesel engines in a dense residential neighbourhood.
* That “Hoteling” cruise ships that run their auxiliary engines burn at least 700 litres of diesel an hour; the equivalent of 688 permanently running HGVs
* That Cruise ships are planned to dock for the six summer months, when pollution in London is at its worst, and dirty diesel emissions will affect large populations on both banks of the river.
* That Ships auxiliary engines run on dirtier diesel than lorries and
* That unlike lorries, these ships do not treat or filter their emissions.

Woolwich Online was reliably told by a member of the EGRA that the pollution fears leading to the court case was popular and attracted the support of the Mayor of London and the four mayoral candidates for May's elections including to two main front runners - Sadiq Kahn of Labour and Zack Goldsmith of the Conservative Party.

 

What happens at the courts today will likely result in the use of power from the nation's main grid, which is said could be projectedly high. There a warning from Australia where, a similar port has created a major worries for residents of the Balmain area.