Campaigners in east London have said the mayor of Tower Hamlets is engaged in a “culture war” against low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) as he consults for a second time in a year on the future of traffic reduction schemes.
The controversy in the borough – where Lutfur Rahman, promised in his manifesto to remove LTNs – came as neighbouring councils Hackney and Islington strengthened their commitment to the schemes.
A consultation has just closed on whether to remove restrictions on traffic in parts of Bethnal Green and another, on restrictions in Brick Lane, closes this weekend.
Jane Harris from the campaign group Save Our Safer Streets, said the mayor was ignoring the result of previous consultations, including those carried out as recently as last year.
She said: “We answered a consultation on these areas last year and the result showed a majority of respondents want the safer streets schemes to stay in place. He promised in his manifesto to be a listening mayor – so why does he need to be told twice?”
She added: “He is supposed to be everybody’s mayor but we feel he is going to war – that this is a culture war. It does not have to be this divisive, we have had constructive conversations with residents who question the scheme.”
While a large majority of the more than 6,000 respondents to last year’s consultations on Bethnal Green Road and the Weavers area supported the measures remaining, the count of those living in the affected areas was almost evenly split.
Harris added: “The consultation has asked whether people want to keep everything as it is or return it to how it was at massive cost. We want to see an approach that looks at improving the road changes. For example, replacing some hard closures with numberplate recognition cameras to help the emergency services.”
Earlier this month five headteachers in an area that has had significant reductions in traffic wrote an open letter to Rahman asking him to keep the restrictions in place.
They wrote: “We have experienced Bethnal Green before the new street layouts and after. Before, the immediate area around our schools was dominated by speeding vehicles, noise and fumes. Now, we can see from the data provided that there has been a significant reduction in cars using the roads around our schools and that this has positively affected air quality.”
Rahman has offered in his consultation to replace the current layout with zebra crossings but the teachers and campaigners say they should not have to choose between lower traffic and additional safe crossings.
Rahman was elected as an independent mayor in May last year following a five-year ban on standing for public office after an election court found him guilty of corrupt and illegal practices.
He said last year: “Although plans to remove the LTN schemes from parts of Tower Hamlets won a resounding democratic mandate at May’s local elections, I am keen to ensure residents’ views are heard from across the spectrum. These closures have impacted thousands of working people in Tower Hamlets. They have pushed huge amounts of traffic on to [other] roads … and are simply moving congestion and pollution on to the most vulnerable residents.”
Recent academic research shows that although this is a common argument against LTNs, the schemes do not generally increase traffic on other roads.
Campaigners say the LTN is protecting children in a deprived area from pollution. Car ownership in Tower Hamlets is among the lowest in London.
Last year the mayor removed a “school street” structure in Bow despite efforts by children to block council workmen from removing painted fences and planters. Parents told the Guardian the area was now much less safe at school drop-off and pick-up times.
In a response to the current criticisms Rahman’s office said: “The council received feedback that the first consultation did not provide enough data and detail regarding the proposals.”
It is clear that some local people feel alienated by the process. Lynda is a longtime Tower Hamlets resident and activist. She said she had been concerned since the beginning of the plans for the LTN in Bethnal Green.
“We only found out about the LTN when we got letters saying the scheme is starting, and I and other activists felt upset about this. I ran a food bank and relied on my car to collect and deliver donations and they closed the street where I parked. Driving around took longer because traffic was pushed on to the main road,” she said.
Transport for London, local police and health trusts have all said they support the retention of the scheme.
Lynda says she worries the lifestyle changes being encouraged are harder for families such as hers to join in with. “We all want to live in a place with lower air pollution where everybody is active. But if you want people to ride bikes, will you help us buy bikes, where will they be stored? I live in a flat with four children. We worry this is changing the area for families.”
The debate over LTNs continues across the country. In Oxford, protests are planned against the city’s traffic reduction measures, and bollards have previously been set on fire by those opposed to the schemes.
Hackney recently announced it had financial backing from TfL to bring in additional restrictions that would mean 75% of the borough will be covered by traffic reduction schemes. A similar area of Islington will be covered if plans voted for by the council in January for five new “liveable neighbourhoods” go ahead.
