The mayor of Tower Hamlets acted unlawfully in attempting to remove three low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) schemes, the court of appeal ruled today.
Road safety activists are celebrating the decision after a more than three-year campaign to preserve the traffic restrictions in the east London neighborhoods of Bethnal Green, Shoreditch and Columbia Road. The ruling overturns a previous high court decision from December that had favored Mayor Lutfur Rahman.
Rahman campaigned on a promise to eliminate the LTNs, arguing they hindered working-class residents who depend on cars. His manifesto pledged to “reopen our roads, and abolish the failed liveable Streets scheme, which has seen emergency services and vulnerable residents’ access blocked.”
However, campaigners maintained the ltns benefited the community, garnering support from local NHS trusts and five school headteachers. They argued the LTNs provide “simple and cheap infrastructure which protects our public realm from the worst impacts of cars and drivers’ behavior and encourages and supports people who choose or have no choice but to walk, cycle or get public transport.We need to do this to support vulnerable members of our society, to reduce isolation, to improve safety and accessibility.”
