Campaigners have joined with University College London to monitor pollution along the A406 Pinkham Way in a bid to show the necessity of the green conservation site.

The Pinkham Way Alliance will gather evidence about pollution in the residential areas around the site, as part of UCL’s London-wide air quality study.

The group says the importance of the study is underlined by research, published this month, by the Mayor of London showing that 9,500 early deaths are caused by air pollution every year – more than the number of deaths caused by smoking.

Pinkham Way Alliance chairman Stephen Brice said: “These readings show how the area is already suffering from chronic pollution owing to the day-long A406 congestion.

“If Haringey council is in any way serious about the health of its residents, it must act to preserve rare green spaces such as Pinkham Way, whose 1,500 trees and heavy vegetation go some way to cleansing the air of these harmful chemicals.

“As the latest North London Waste Plan shows, the North London Councils, including Haringey, are, after six years, still desperate to use the Pinkham Way site for waste, with Waste Transfer apparently their preferred option.”

Mr Brice added: “Haringey’s own Air Quality policy says that any development of the site must improve air quality; but it is impossible to see how this would be achieved by plans that would inevitably increase lorry traffic on the A406 and on our saturated local roads. The pollution would worsen, in spite of any soft soap claiming the opposite.”

For the study, the PWA has put 25 diffusion tube in areas adjoining the A406, both at Pinkham Way and Telford Way, and along surrounding roads which become clogged with traffic trying to avoid congestion on the North Circular Road.

Results from the month-long study are due in September.

The PWA’s participation in the study will be supported by the social enterprise Mapping for Change, a wholly owned subsidiary of University College London.

In a statement, the North London Waste Authority said: “Assuming that NLWA can secure planning permission for its proposed residual waste management facilities at Edmonton, the authority now has no current plans to develop the Pinkham Way site. Nor has the authority taken any action to develop the site since withdrawing its original plans for Pinkham Way in April 2013.

However, the site will remain an asset for NLWA due to its strategic location and planning designation as a potential employment site.”

A spokesman for Haringey council said: “We’re committed to improving green spaces in Haringey, and we’re delighted that last week our work was recognised by a record number of Green Flags for the borough’s top-quality parks.

“The draft North London Waste Plan sets out how different areas can play a part in better managing recycling and waste across seven boroughs, and we want to hear from local people during full public consultation starting this week.

“Both the North London Waste Authority and Barnet council – who own the Pinkham Way site – have confirmed they have no plans to develop the land. This plan will be subject to further consultation and public examination by the Planning Inspectorate during the next year, and no decisions have been made.”