London risks becoming the “dirty man” of Europe unless new laws are introduced to protect the environment after Brexit, MPs have warned.
They fear regulation on air quality, the Thames and London’s parks and wildlife may slip through the net unless a specific Environmental Protection Act is drawn up as soon as possible.
Mary Creagh MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, said: “We don’t want to look back to the bad old days when London was the dirty man of Europe.
“The worst case scenario is that we see more pollution, more waste and more environmental degradation and the disappearance of our much-loved spaces and iconic wildlife in London.”
The committee’s latest report found the Government’s intended Great Repeal Bill to end EU supremacy over UK law will not cover every policy area — and environmental laws could miss out.
Domestic regulation on clean air standards was an absolute must as the last Clean Air Act has not been updated in 1968, said Ms Creagh.
