Investigating the impact of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on odour complaints made to London Borough Councils in Spring 2020 compared to Spring 2019

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research explores the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions (working from home; not attending school; only socialising with people from your household), on the number of odour complaints made to London Borough Councils in Spring 2020. As odour has been linked to mental and physical health, this research is pertinent in the current blended working style many workplaces have adopted as a result of COVID-19. The area of Greater London was used to investigate the difference between odour complaints made to London Councils in Spring 2019 compared to those submitted during lockdown in Spring 2020. Using Freedom of Information requests, this project transformed raw data from 29 London Councils to reveal a statistically significant increase in the number of complaints made between the two years. A categorisation framework showed that complaints in the ‘Residential’ category rose pointedly. There were no strong trends between individual Borough data and no significant correlations between a range of urban, environmental, and demographic factors, suggesting that odour pollution impacts communities in a similar way across London. Utilising these findings, the project highlights some recommendations for Local Councils to improve working conditions at home and some avenues of further study for environmental researchers.