Lambeth council “inundated” with requests for low traffic neighbourhoods across borough
By Grainne Cuffe, Local Democracy Reporter
Lambeth council has been “inundated” with requests for low traffic neighbourhoods across the borough – but doesn’t have money to implement more.
Lambeth received £2,639,000 from the Mayor of London’s Streetspace plans, the most out of all London councils, to cover emergency transport measures to aid social distancing and promote active travel in the wake of Covid-19.
LTNs, which involve placing camera-enforced or physical barriers in streets to prevent through-traffic, are being implemented across the capital as part of the scheme.
Lambeth recently implemented its fifth LTN in Tulse Hill, following Railton, Oval Triangle, Ferndale, and Streatham Hill.
One of the main aims of the LTNs is to promote active travel such as cycling, walking and public transport, which many residents support.
But residents have also raised concerns about traffic displacement, lack of consultation, increased journey times, and the division of communities.
In a question published ahead of next week’s council meeting, Councillor Fred Cowell asked the cabinet member for sustainable transport, environment and clean air, Cllr Claire Holland, what residents could do if they wanted an LTN in their area.
He said the LTNs have been “widely admired in Lambeth and beyond”.
“They have helped drive down pollution and encourage healthier modes of transport and show Lambeth leading the way on this issue.
“Residents in Peran Road, Chestnut Road, Rosendale Road, and Guernsey Grove are calling out for LTN’s in their road.”
Cllr Holland said: “The popularity of our emergency low traffic neighbourhood programme has led to us being inundated with requests from different parts of the borough for their neighbourhoods to be added.
“The support and interest shows how many of our residents welcome measures to make their streets safer and to enable more active travel.”
But she said committing to new LTNs is not possible at the moment.
She SAID: “The biggest constraints that we are facing against this goal are limited officer capacity and available funding.
“The existing emergency LTNs and other interventions already implemented as part of our emergency response to Covid-19 still require significant staff resources so that we can ensure ongoing benefits are realised.
“The only funding currently available for transport measures is emergency funding through the Mayor’s Streetspace programme and the government,” Cllr Holland said.
The council is facing a £28 million funding gap in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cllr Holland added: “This means at present, it is difficult to look beyond what was set out in our emergency programme.
“Many of the measures in the programme have been delivered aside from LTNs in Brixton Hill and Streatham Wells which remain a priority.
“Unfortunately, therefore at the current time we are unable to commit to any further LTNs but will keep this under review as resources allow.”
Pictured top: Shakespeare Road in the Railton LTN
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It’s Guernsey Grove not Gurnsey
Absolute rubbish, I’m sure Shambeth Council have been inundated but I severely doubt its to request their very own LTN nightmare! I can see another FOI on its way. There is much anger and frustration from those of us negatively impacted by Shambeth Labours love in for cyclists. I’m sure the middle class white men in lycra really appreciate it, disabled women like me not so much! The Ferndale LTN has seen an increase in pollution, noise, road rage and both cyclists and motorbikes mounting the pavements as well as police vans stuck in traffic and having to reverse up a road to attend an incident and an abandoned fire engine. Whoever designed this LTN seems to have no idea what they are doing and lacks any logic but yeah roll on the election, finally a reason for people to get out and vote against a party that basically despises the people they are tasked to represent.
Here here! Pure gaslighting. No one was asked, no one wants this. This is creating pure chaos everywhere.
This is fake news. This is lambeth council officers trying to squeeze more money from central government. The LTN in our area has been met with furious response from locals. Fact.
Lol this article reads like satire!
No we do not want the LTNs already in place, much less bringing in new ones.
Pushing all traffic on to a few major roads causing noise and emissions pollution… not to mention it takes 3 times as long to get to anywhere; Energency vehicles who cannot navigate the closures. Delivery drivers have started to consider adding LTN surcharges to prices… drivers who live in LTNs have been severely inconvenienced and adversely affected by these unwanted and stupidly placed roadblocks
Lambeth councillors claim LTNs “have helped drive down pollution“ – but provide no evidence to support their claim. Why? Because it is a false claim. Independent research shows that LTNs drive local pollution *up* and harm local businesses.
Lambeth claims that LTNs were introduced as an “emergency response” to covid-19, but in reality the pandemic was just a cynical pretext to impose an ill-conceived pre-planned policy.
What a load of crap the only people who will agree are people who don’t own a vehicle. Full stop. I’m a car owner and I am disgusted at the way things are changing for the worst, yet news like this makes it appear as people are happy with their decisions. When will people finally stand up, enough is enough. All the government are doing is trying to feed of the middle and poor class for every penny they have left.
At the last census, 58% of Lambeth residents didn’t have access to a motor-vehicle. You say “the only people who will agree are people who don’t own a vehicle”, that’s the majority of the people in the borough.
Clearly all lies. Majority in the Ferndale Ward are strongly against it. This scheme is making lives unhappy and killing businesses. It’s a self serving vanity project to benefit a few, leaving others in worse conditions than before. The lengths they’ve gone to to push this forward is disgraceful.
Pedestrians and cyclists spend more than drivers (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/walking-cycling-economic-benefits-summary-pack.pdf). As a recent example, closing Northcote Rd to motor-vehicles saved the businesses there earlier this year.
Total lie!
No one wants LTN! If you have common sense , you wouldn’t make 10 minute commute 35 mins and say you are cleaning air!! Shame on these people spreading lies and putting people through hell! No respect for you
It’s been great to see these experimental schemes being implemented and I wish they could be rolled out across the whole of London, not just in a few boroughs.
The level of private vehicle ownership in Lambeth is incredibly low and yet the amount of traffic in the borough has continued to rise over the decade. More broadly, the statistics for London are stark, the vast majority of cars carry only the driver and most journeys cover less than 5km.
Covid made the acceleration of these schemes necessary, but they were already long overdue.