13,000 people sign petition against Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk
Almost 13,000 people have signed a petition against roadblocks in one borough.
The number of signatures has soared since Lewisham council decided to make the Lee Green Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) permanent on January 13.
The petition, launched by resident Rodger Lawson, is backed by the mother of a 13-year old girl who died of asthma living next to the South Circular Road.
Rosamund Kissi-Debrah says traffic pollution along the South Circular has worsened since the introduction of LTNs in May 2020.
The campaigner, whose daughter Ella died in 2009, has threatened a judicial review if town hall traffic chiefs do not back down.
Mr Lawson said: “Lewisham is sticking to its dogma that an LTN is good for you – despite all the evidence to the contrary.
“The majority of responses to the public consultation oppose retention. The actions of the council will have no impact whatsoever on global climate change.
There is no evidence the LTN has cut CO2 emissions, reduced air pollution or encouraged more walking or cycling.
“As a former asthma sufferer I think the council’s attitude is despicable. They have moved traffic from some roads but they have made other areas much worse. This is not social justice.”
He also claimed the council is ignoring a legal requirement to publish a permanent traffic order and allow 21 days for objections before it is implemented.
He advocated voting for opposition Liberal Democrats, Conservatives or the Reform Party in local elections in May.
He added: “We need people to step forward to oppose the one party state that exists in Lewisham where a few people decide policies and everyone else is ignored.”
Lewisham council has issued more than 60,000 fines for one road block in the Lee Green LTN – Dermody Road.
Drivers must pay £130 if they drive through the road blocks, but can see the fines halved if they pay within two weeks.
Lewisham has also cancelled more than 27,000 fines for Dermody Road.
Cllr Patrick Codd, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Our low traffic neighbourhood is focused on creating safer, cleaner and greener streets and contributing towards London’s improving air quality.
By reducing unnecessary car journeys and discouraging through-traffic from using the area as a short-cut, it will help us support people to walk and cycle more, reduce pollution and improve road safety.
“We know that some people are disappointed by the decision to retain the LTN, but after careful consideration, taking into account comments from residents and the data we have available, we believe that the LTN has an important role to play in helping tackle the climate crisis, improving air quality and creating safer roads.
“The LTN isn’t intended to work in isolation. Going forward, we’ll be introducing a series of complementary environmental measures that residents have told us they want to see, including extra bike parking, school streets, electric car charging, more trees and new or improved pedestrian crossings across the consultation area and not just within the LTN.
We will continue to monitor and review traffic, speed and air quality levels in and around the LTN to help ensure we can address any issues where possible.”
LONDON LTN’S HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT CAUSE MAJOR TRAFFIC EVERYWHERE ALL HOURS
THEY ARE ILLEGAL NO CONSULATIONS WHERE DONE AND THE FIGURES WHERE MADE UP TO INTRODUCE THEM THE EXPERIMENT FAILED MISERABLY
THIS WITH THE BUS LANES ALSO NOW BEING ALL TIMES INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE 7-10 AND 4-7 TFL RECOGNISE THAT THERE IS MAJOR TRAFFIC IN LONDON DUE TO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS AND LTNS WHICH AGAIN WHERE INTRODUCED USING FALSE DATA
WHY HAVENT COUNCILS BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS MESS THEY HAVE CREATED WHY ARE MOTORIST PAYING FULL ROAD TAX AND CANT USE OVER HALF THE ROADS IN LONDON NOW
HOW DOES HERDING CARS LIKE CATTLE HELP NEIGHBOURHOODS WHY WERE ROADS PUT IN THOSE AREAS IF THEY WERENT MEANT TO BE USED WHY CAN YOU SPEND 30MIN IN TRAFFIC AND ON MAIN ROADS TO DRIVE TO THE OTHER SIDE AND STILL ACCESS THE ROAD YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN TO 30MIN AGO FROM THE OTHER SIDE IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE WASTE OF MONEY PLANTERS AND STUPID CAMERAS WHICH WE PAID FOR WITHOUT CONSENT AND NEVER WANTED.
COUNCILS SOULD BE FORCED TO PUBLISH DAILY DATA ON HOW MUCH MONEY THEY ARE MAKING FROM THESE SCHEMES AND PUBLISH LIVE DATA ON WHAT THEY USE THE FUNDS FOR BECAUSE NONE OF IT MAKES SENSE.
ARE THESE SIMPLY JUST A MONEY MAKING SCHEME THAT MOTORIST ARE BEING FORCED TO ENDURE CONSTANT TRAFFIC JAMS HIGH STREET POLLUTION AND PROLONGED CONGESTION
WHO THOUGHT MAKING EVERYONE DRIVE DOWN THE SAME ROADS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA WHAT HAPPENS TO SMOKE IF YOU CLOSE ALL THE DOORS AND ONLY LEAVE SOME OPEN IT SIMPLY ENTERS THE OPEN DOORS MEANING ALL THE EXHAUST FUMES FROM EVERY VEHICLE DRIVING DOWN THESE ROADS ARE NOW TEN TIMES WORSE BECAUSE OF THESE SILLY IDEAS THAT SOMEONE GETS PAID TO COME UP WITH THAT PROBABLY DOESNT EVEN LIVE IN LONDON.
SOMEONE GET THESE THINGS GONE PLEASE THEY ARE A NUISANCE