Air Quality Exposed to its Own Harshest Critic

Theatre-goers used to the thrill and excitement of the West End are set to shift their attention to an atmosphere of a different kind, as air quality is monitored for the very first time at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London.

The monitor will measure levels of nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide at the junction of Victoria Street – a site where there is considerable public exposure to air pollution. 

A Grade II-listed building, the Victoria Palace Theatre constitutes an ideal location for the equipment and will help to ensure the long-term viability of the project as the area undergoes widespread regeneration.

The equipment became fully operational on Friday (22 Nov) after Westminster City Council officers completed the installation process, allowing the monitor to draw in air from outside the theatre itself.

Working in partnership with the Victoria Business Improvement District, Westminster Council installed the equipment in the heart of Victoria as part of its Air Quality Action Plan, which was launched in April 2013. The monitor will form part of the London Air Quality Network – the UK’s first network of air quality monitoring sites managed by the Environmental Research Group at King’s College London.

The monitoring equipment was funded through a Section 106 agreement with Land Securities as part of its redevelopment of Victoria. The funding will continue over the next ten years and will cover eighty percent of the site’s operating costs.

The monitor complements an existing site in Horseferry Road – also part of the London Air Quality Network – but its location at the centre of a major transport hub means the levels of pollution it will measure are more representative of air quality at a busy road junction in the city. It also joins an existing device in Oxford Street which, as of January 2013, has been upgraded to monitor levels of nitrogen dioxide in the capital’s main thoroughfare.

Cllr Ed Argar, Westminster City Council cabinet member for city management, transport and environment, said: “This new addition to London’s theatre scene demonstrates our commitment to remaining at the vanguard of the drive to improve air quality in the capital, which began when Westminster became the first local authority to declare an air quality management area in 1999.

“Improving air quality in a global city that hosts a million people each day is no mean feat but it is one that we are committed to delivering. Through our Air Quality Action Plan, which we launched in April, we are working with local businesses and schools to encourage practices which reduce pollution and make Westminster a healthier environment for residents, businesses and theatregoers alike.”

Ruth Duston, CEO of Victoria BID, said: “We are delighted to have facilitated the installation of the monitor at the Victoria Palace Theatre as part of our air quality project that we are taking forward in conjunction with businesses and Westminster City Council.

“The Victoria Palace Theatre has demonstrated a huge commitment to raising the profile of air quality in Victoria by hosting the device. It will provide valuable monitoring data for years to come and assist in the development of more activities that aim to improve air quality.”

The Victoria Palace Theatre, which has hosted Billy Elliot the musical since 2005, is believed to be the first theatre in the UK to be installed with an air quality monitor.

Andrew Mills, the theatre’s General Manager, said: “The Victoria Palace is delighted to work with the Victoria BID, along with Westminster City Council, so that this important issue is addressed and the air can be monitored – the ultimate aim being to improve air quality at the very heart of Victoria, benefitting all that come to the area.”

The theatre began life as a small concert room above the stables of the Royal Standard Hotel, which was built on the site of the current theatre in 1832. 

The Royal Standard Music Hall, as it became known, was demolished in 1910. It was replaced with the current Victoria Palace Theatre, which was built at a cost of £12,000 and opened on November 6 1911.