Greenwich mum and daughter forced to use inhaler as Silvertown Tunnel dust ‘thick in the air’

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

A mum said she regrets moving near the River Thames and claims construction work on the Silvertown Tunnel has made her asthma so bad she has to use her inhaler three times a day.

Fiona O’Shea also said she has to dust her home three times a day if she has the windows open because there’s so much dust.

Ms O’Shea moved to Greenwich Peninsula from Eltham at the end of 2019. She started noticing issues with the area earlier this year, such as thick dust landing on her balcony and sticking to her clothes.

She said: “The dust that you can see now is thick in the air. It’s a gritty, heavy black dust that coats everything. You’ve got to dust at least two or three times a day if the windows are open.”

Ms O’Shea said that she noticed her breathing has gotten worse since construction on the Silvertown Tunnel started, with the tunnel boring machine being built earlier this year.

The mum said she now has to use her inhaler three times a day.

She said: “You can feel it in the back of your throat and in your nose and everything. Once that building started to pick up, and they started bringing in the trucks and everything, that’s when I noticed my breathing.”

When asked, a TfL spokesperson said that there were “site-specific dust control measures” in place.

The resident also said the “gritty” air causes her daughter to use her inhaler more when she comes to visit, and that the effects of the dust linger after she leaves.

She said: “By the end of the day, I said to my daughter, ‘You’ve got to clean your face every night.’

“She said she knew but I said, ‘No, before you go to bed you’ve got to cleanse it because when you cleanse it you see the dirt come off.’ And I think if you’re seeing that, you’re breathing that in.”

Ms O’Shea said she wasn’t aware of the plans to build the Silvertown Tunnel before moving into her flat, and didn’t find out about the construction until April in 2021.

She also said that noise from the site could start before 7am and go on “all day”, with noise also coming from the extra vehicles in the area.

She said: “It feels like we’re in the middle of a major motorway.”

The TfL spokesperson said that noise and vibration monitors were at the site to minimise any impact to the community.

A Greenwich council spokesperson said: “It’s very concerning to hear about the health issues experienced by our residents.

Transport for London (TfL)’s Silvertown Tunnel Project is being constructed by an organisation called Riverlinx and the council is working with them to ensure it builds the Silvertown Tunnel according to requirements and with the minimum possible impact on our residents.

“We would urge our residents to get in touch with Riverlinx as soon as possible if they are experiencing issues with the construction of the tunnel.

The TfL spokesperson said: “TfL and Riverlinx are committed to working considerately alongside the community and minimising the impact of the construction of the Silvertown Tunnel.

“Noise and vibration monitors located across the worksite to ensure that any impact is kept under continuous review.

“Site-specific dust control measures, which were approved by the council, are also in place and Riverlinx continue to engage specialists throughout the design and construction of the works to ensure that the noise and vibration is monitored and managed as required.”

Pictured top: Fiona O’Shea, shown from her apartment balcony in Greenwich Peninsula (Picture: Joe Coughlan)