Act now to tell the Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich that decisions should be open and transparent
We believe Cllr Thorpe should take a leaf out of his own book. The West Greenwich Traffic Management Scheme causes problems and congestion all over the area, reducing road resilience, denting incomes, impeding the emergency services and vital personal journeys. To give specious reasons, unsupported by cogent evidence for this damaging scheme, to leave monitoring to the last minute, to keep us in the dark and fail to provide open consultation is, as he says, simply not acceptable.
Click here to sign and send our open letter to Danny Thorpe demanding open and honest government from Greenwich.
Opposing the Experimental Traffic Orders - the Council is refusing a transparent process
Formal Objections to the ETO governing the scheme closed on 3 March. Many thanks to all who made Formal Objections. However, Greenwich has failed to make these objections public or to respond directly and transparently as the law requires them to do. At present Greenwich has declined to answer the objections or consider them when a decision is taken on the Scheme. Many of us who have made Objections have been sent a message stating they will only be dealt with as 'complaints' to the Council. This is wrong. Follow the link to our suggested response and who to send it to.
The scheme in West Greenwich was brought in last summer under new rules controlling the Government’s emergency pandemic cash under a ‘Temporary Traffic Order’ made on 12 August 2020 under the new rules. This order was meant to provide for pandemic protections. But the Council changed it on 25 August to an ‘Experimental Traffic Order’ or ETO. The main ETO took effect on 3 September (there are two ETOs).
The Local Government Ombudsman and the West Greenwich Scheme
Residents in other boroughs are challenging similar traffic schemes in the Courts. But there are very short deadlines for court action. As a result, we’re a bit stuck on that front, because Greenwich didn’t say what they were doing last August. However, the Local Government Ombudsman has power to step in to put things right and investigate what the local council has got up to. Before you can reach the Ombudsman, you have to start with a formal complaint to the Council.
1. Start with a letter to the Chief Executive, who passes it to the relevant department. (You can send copies of your letter to local councillors.) There’s an example of a West Greenwich Traffic Scheme Formal Complaint on this link.
2. If the complaint is rejected and you can go to a ‘second stage’ in which you ask for a review.
After a review, if you’re still not satisfied, you can then make a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can investigate the Council and, potentially, put things right.
3. The Ombudsman can take action, or the matter can be taken to Court.
The new Westcombe Park and Maze Hill Area (or East Greenwich) Scheme
Good news! We’re in time to apply to the High Court to have the scheme ‘quashed’ (or ‘squashed’ as we like to put it). This has to happen within six weeks of the making of the Experimental Traffic Order. Since we first threatened to do this, Greenwich Council has held back from making an Order, and the Leader of the Council has said schemes will not be introduced without majority support from residents.
We are also in time for a potential Judicial Review in Court – but before that happens, you have to start with a Formal Complaint to the Council (step 1. above). Here’s a Formal Complaint we’ve written about the East Greenwich Scheme that you might like to use, and start on the road to a Judicial Review, via steps 2 and 3.
Legal Expenses
All potential legal action needs support from lawyers. There are complicated legal hoops to jump through if we can get to the starting line we've discussed above. So, we’re asking you to get ready to chip into legal expenses to get the ball rolling in court. Watch this space, sign up for emails, or join the ‘Greenwich Road Closures’ Facebook Group.
Otherwise … contact us to get updates, to let us know what you think, or write to us to contribute to our blog at greenwichgonetoofar@outlook.com
We believe Cllr Thorpe should take a leaf out of his own book. The West Greenwich Traffic Management Scheme causes problems and congestion all over the area, reducing road resilience, denting incomes, impeding the emergency services and vital personal journeys. To give specious reasons, unsupported by cogent evidence for this damaging scheme, to leave monitoring to the last minute, to keep us in the dark and fail to provide open consultation is, as he says, simply not acceptable.
Click here to sign and send our open letter to Danny Thorpe demanding open and honest government from Greenwich.
Opposing the Experimental Traffic Orders - the Council is refusing a transparent process
Formal Objections to the ETO governing the scheme closed on 3 March. Many thanks to all who made Formal Objections. However, Greenwich has failed to make these objections public or to respond directly and transparently as the law requires them to do. At present Greenwich has declined to answer the objections or consider them when a decision is taken on the Scheme. Many of us who have made Objections have been sent a message stating they will only be dealt with as 'complaints' to the Council. This is wrong. Follow the link to our suggested response and who to send it to.
The scheme in West Greenwich was brought in last summer under new rules controlling the Government’s emergency pandemic cash under a ‘Temporary Traffic Order’ made on 12 August 2020 under the new rules. This order was meant to provide for pandemic protections. But the Council changed it on 25 August to an ‘Experimental Traffic Order’ or ETO. The main ETO took effect on 3 September (there are two ETOs).
The Local Government Ombudsman and the West Greenwich Scheme
Residents in other boroughs are challenging similar traffic schemes in the Courts. But there are very short deadlines for court action. As a result, we’re a bit stuck on that front, because Greenwich didn’t say what they were doing last August. However, the Local Government Ombudsman has power to step in to put things right and investigate what the local council has got up to. Before you can reach the Ombudsman, you have to start with a formal complaint to the Council.
1. Start with a letter to the Chief Executive, who passes it to the relevant department. (You can send copies of your letter to local councillors.) There’s an example of a West Greenwich Traffic Scheme Formal Complaint on this link.
2. If the complaint is rejected and you can go to a ‘second stage’ in which you ask for a review.
After a review, if you’re still not satisfied, you can then make a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can investigate the Council and, potentially, put things right.
3. The Ombudsman can take action, or the matter can be taken to Court.
The new Westcombe Park and Maze Hill Area (or East Greenwich) Scheme
Good news! We’re in time to apply to the High Court to have the scheme ‘quashed’ (or ‘squashed’ as we like to put it). This has to happen within six weeks of the making of the Experimental Traffic Order. Since we first threatened to do this, Greenwich Council has held back from making an Order, and the Leader of the Council has said schemes will not be introduced without majority support from residents.
We are also in time for a potential Judicial Review in Court – but before that happens, you have to start with a Formal Complaint to the Council (step 1. above). Here’s a Formal Complaint we’ve written about the East Greenwich Scheme that you might like to use, and start on the road to a Judicial Review, via steps 2 and 3.
Legal Expenses
All potential legal action needs support from lawyers. There are complicated legal hoops to jump through if we can get to the starting line we've discussed above. So, we’re asking you to get ready to chip into legal expenses to get the ball rolling in court. Watch this space, sign up for emails, or join the ‘Greenwich Road Closures’ Facebook Group.
Otherwise … contact us to get updates, to let us know what you think, or write to us to contribute to our blog at greenwichgonetoofar@outlook.com
