Council rejects anti-LTN residents’ bid to speak
By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter
Anti-low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) campaigners were left standing outside a town hall after a council rejected their bid to speak at a meeting and instead heard from residents who wanted more restrictions.
About 60 demonstrators gathered outside Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton on Wednesday evening after their application to speak at a council meeting was rejected.
Meanwhile, councillors seated in the town hall heard from a group of residents who want the council to roll out more divisive low-traffic zones across the borough.
Protesters outside listened to speakers who railed against the Labour-run council’s traffic restrictions and held banners reading ‘Clean Air Equality’ and ‘Streets For All.’
One of the demonstrators, Lambeth-based 54-year-old Ian Armstrong, who works part-time as a cab driver, said the council was turning a blind eye to the impact of low-traffic neighbourhoods.
He said: “It’s crazy what has been done, blocking all the side roads and putting the traffic on to the main roads where people catch public transport. Less affluent people live on the main roads and more affluent people live on the side roads that have been blocked.
“They [the council] are ignoring it completely. The whole LTN process is about imposing their view and they are pretending the consequences aren’t happening.”
Susan Smith, 74, said the Streatham Wells LTN introduced last year had added 40 minutes to her journey from her home in South Norwood to Balham.
She said: “They are funnelling everybody on to the main roads. You’ve already got buses, a Tesco and leisure centre in Streatham High Road. It’s a busy road. Now nobody is going anywhere.”
Inside the meeting, one of the pro-LTN residents said she was ‘delighted’ to hear from neighbours about how the council’s low-traffic zones had improved their lives.
She said: “Thank you to Lambeth for delivering this amazing change. We look forward to working with you to build on the success of the early LTN trial.”
In response, Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, cabinet member for clean air, thanked the residents for supporting the council’s low-traffic schemes. She added: “We want Lambeth to be one of the safest boroughs in London. We are proceeding with our eyes open and [seeking] to get as much evidence as possible.”
Pictured top: Cab driver Ian Armstrong at the anti-LTN protest outside Lambeth Town Hall on Wednesday night (Picture: Robert Firth)
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