A South Norwood nursery is planting pollution absorbing hedges to “negate” the effect of a nearby low traffic neighbourhood.
The Butterfly Patch, on South Norwood Hill, claims the Holmesdale Road LTN has forced traffic from quieter roads to instead pass the nursery, worsening air quality for children.
Staff are planting Cotoneaster Franchetti outside the premises, which has been found to be 20 per cent more effective than other shrubs at absorbing polluting particles.
A spokesperson for the nursery group said: “The LTNs have forced local traffic to the main roads and therefore past our nursery, this includes trucks and buses which are the worst polluters with large diesel engines.