Social justice for all on our local streets
Black dots: existing and new hard barriers (modal filters).
Call-In results in a 'reconsideration' but no fundamental change
A public Call-In meeting, based on Greenwich Council's failure to take the result of public consultation into account, has not led to any fundamental change to the decision in February to close streets on both sides of Greenwich Park during the six busiest hours of day, Monday to Friday. Up to 75% of respondents objected to options for the new scheme - designed to force walking, wheeling and cycling on dangerously steep gradients and force local traffic to heavily polluted boundaries - mainly the A2 (Blackheath Hill and Shooters Hill Road) as well as Woolwich and Trafalgar Roads. The options selected are the most environmentally and economically damaging and most opposed by the community. The Council's decision, based on Read more...
A public Call-In meeting, based on Greenwich Council's failure to take the result of public consultation into account, has not led to any fundamental change to the decision in February to close streets on both sides of Greenwich Park during the six busiest hours of day, Monday to Friday. Up to 75% of respondents objected to options for the new scheme - designed to force walking, wheeling and cycling on dangerously steep gradients and force local traffic to heavily polluted boundaries - mainly the A2 (Blackheath Hill and Shooters Hill Road) as well as Woolwich and Trafalgar Roads. The options selected are the most environmentally and economically damaging and most opposed by the community. The Council's decision, based on Read more...
Greenwich attempts re-branding the LTN as 'traffic calming'
This week's announcement on Commonplace that plans to close streets in the 'residential' areas east and west of the park are 'traffic calming' appear to be a bid to avoid penalties under new national government guidance on the creation of LTNs. Cabinet member Cllr Averil Lekau, responsible for the decision, has repeated claims that 'both areas' of West-East Greenwich 'suffer from high levels of through traffic and poor air quality'. However, the boundary areas to which traffic will be re-directed carry much higher levels of traffic and experience measurably far higher pollution. The long diversions caused can only make this worse.
In the 20 August release, Cllr Lekau also refers to high levels of hospitalised babies in the borough with respiratory tract infections and 'one of the highest levels of childhood obesity' in London. No connection of these claims with the scheme has ever been explained. The boundary roads population has a much higher deprivation classification, according to the 2021 Census, as well as higher child counts and greater levels of disability.
The Government guidance states that communities must be shown to have representative majorities in favour of schemes, that they are not introduced for penalty revenue, and that traffic management legislation is not used inappropriately. Greenwich has not produced any traffic evidence supporting the scheme, which will increase traffic and pollution on hard pressed bus routes. Reports supporting council decisions for the LTN rely on distorted emphasis on minority support and lack information on impacts over a wide area. The official guidance could be breached in a number of ways. Read more...
This week's announcement on Commonplace that plans to close streets in the 'residential' areas east and west of the park are 'traffic calming' appear to be a bid to avoid penalties under new national government guidance on the creation of LTNs. Cabinet member Cllr Averil Lekau, responsible for the decision, has repeated claims that 'both areas' of West-East Greenwich 'suffer from high levels of through traffic and poor air quality'. However, the boundary areas to which traffic will be re-directed carry much higher levels of traffic and experience measurably far higher pollution. The long diversions caused can only make this worse.
In the 20 August release, Cllr Lekau also refers to high levels of hospitalised babies in the borough with respiratory tract infections and 'one of the highest levels of childhood obesity' in London. No connection of these claims with the scheme has ever been explained. The boundary roads population has a much higher deprivation classification, according to the 2021 Census, as well as higher child counts and greater levels of disability.
The Government guidance states that communities must be shown to have representative majorities in favour of schemes, that they are not introduced for penalty revenue, and that traffic management legislation is not used inappropriately. Greenwich has not produced any traffic evidence supporting the scheme, which will increase traffic and pollution on hard pressed bus routes. Reports supporting council decisions for the LTN rely on distorted emphasis on minority support and lack information on impacts over a wide area. The official guidance could be breached in a number of ways. Read more...
Last year's online consultation gave decisive thumbs down to the LTN plan
Last year's plans threatened closures 24/7, while traffic calming to enforce the 20mph speed limit and introduced calming measure were rejected out of hand by Greenwich. Here's how the community reacted to the August 2023 consultation ... Read more...
Last year's plans threatened closures 24/7, while traffic calming to enforce the 20mph speed limit and introduced calming measure were rejected out of hand by Greenwich. Here's how the community reacted to the August 2023 consultation ... Read more...
Lessons of the failed West Greenwich 2020 scheme have been ignored
The Council fought privately to suppress cross borough objections to LTN boundary road displacement, as well as emergency service complaints about delays caused by the barriers. A specialist transport report did not support the Council's analysis of traffic movement, and detailed broader trends that should inform decisions, such as big box retailing on the Peninsula, and London wide emissions actions
Read more ...
The Council fought privately to suppress cross borough objections to LTN boundary road displacement, as well as emergency service complaints about delays caused by the barriers. A specialist transport report did not support the Council's analysis of traffic movement, and detailed broader trends that should inform decisions, such as big box retailing on the Peninsula, and London wide emissions actions
Read more ...
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Boundary road system increases deprivation
Greenwich claims traffic diversion "will be on to the main roads and not into neighbouring residential areas". But the 'main' roads are residential, as are large areas of Charlton where traffic will have to access the Westcombe Park LTN. Forcing ALL vehicles around the boundary has toxic and unfair consequences for those living there. Experts say the worst pollution in the borough is on the boundaries to the scheme. Read more... New government guidance could test the lawfulness of the Council's 8 March decision
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