Low traffic scheme scrappage challenged in court

A decision by the mayor of Tower Hamlets to remove a low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) scheme from the borough is due to be challenged in the High Court.

Campaign group Save Our Safer Streets (SOSS) is bringing the legal action and Transport for London (TfL) has joined the case as an interested party.

TfL will argue that Tower Hamlets did not follow the necessary legal processes and is at odds with the council’s local implementation plan which it had previously been agreed with the Mayor of London.

Lutfar Rahman, the directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets, said low traffic zones “push traffic down surrounding arterial roads, typically lived on by less affluent residents”.

Rahman, of the Aspire party which won the local election in May 2022, previously said the LTN scheme was "botched" by the previous Labour administration and pledged to reverse the programme.

In September 2023 he described LTNs as "a barrier for families to get around in what is the most densely populated place in the country.”

Lawyers representing SOSS will argue the mayor ignored government guidance, ran a flawed consultation and decision-making process, and failed to properly consider if the changes would be a good use of £2.5m.

The Liveable Streets programme was introduced in 2019 by the previous Labour-run Tower Hamlets council to improve the look and feel of public spaces and improve foot, bike and public transport.

When scrapping it, the council said it would instead invest £6m in "active travel" schemes.

Jane Harris, spokesperson for SOSS, said: “TfL’s involvement shows our cause has implications far beyond Tower Hamlets.

“We know the mayor of London has spoken in the past against Tower Hamlet’s decision and we’ve recently presented a petition asking him to step in to make sure the city’s transport policy stays joined-up.”

The court hearing is expected to last for two days.

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