The Fox Lane scheme as implemented is exactly as shown in this consultation document
(Click on the map to enlarge)
Installation of the infrastructure for the trial of the Fox Lane quieter neighbourhood scheme was completed at the end of last week and the statutory consultation period began on Friday. Cameras are in operation recording the number plates of motor vehicles passing the filters either side of Fox Lane railway bridge and on Meadway near the junction with Bourne Avenue. An information leaflet was distributed to homes in the area on Friday (see below for the full text).
Trial implementation of the experimental traffic orders is due to last for six months, during which time residents and community organisations can submit comments - more than once, if they wish. This will enable the council "to understand how the measures work in practice and how they are experienced by people who live, work or visit the area". If the council decides to change any details of the scheme during the trial, they will inform residents and the consultation period may be extended (not mentioned in the leaflet, however, but clear from previous information, is that the scheme may be withdrawn before the six months has expired, as has happened in some other London boroughs, so people with positive comments shouldn't wait too long before submitting them).
If the Covid situation allows, the council hopes to organise a pop-up event intended to inform and hear from residents who are unable to respond online or on paper.
Are the emergency services happy with the low-traffic schemes?
The leaflet distributed to homes stresses that the council consulted with the ambulance service, fire brigade and police before implementing the trial and "will continue this conversation during the trial and make changes as appropriate".
However, on social media opponents of low-traffic neighbourhoods have claimed that the emergency services were not properly consulted about the Bowes and Fox Lane schemes, quoting as evidence an incident involving an ambulance crew and some email correspondence published in response to a freedom of information request.
The ambulance incident seems to have arisen because of initial confusion about access routes in Bowes that were notified to the emergency services and about whether or not crews were supposed to be issued with keys to unlock bollards. To answer this point deputy council leader Ian Barnes issued a separate statement to clarify the situation (the full text is at the end of this article).
The emails released under freedom of information did indeed include one raising doubts about the Bowes scheme. However, the dialogue between Enfield Council and the London Ambulance Service continued subsequently and the council say that in the end the LAS did not object to the scheme.
Ian Barnes' statement includes a quote from the chief operating officer of the London Ambulance Service (LAS), who said on 29th September (a month after the Bowes scheme went live) that "We are not aware of any LTNs [low-traffic neighbourhoods] that have led to any patient safety concerns or any significant delays."
Encouraging sustainable alternatives to the car
Enfield Council will continue its commitment to do everything within our power to improve air quality, improve road safety and fight climate change. We will work with residents, businesses and stakeholders to encourage more sustainable forms of transport when taking shorter journeys.
Ian Barnes' statement ends with a reminder of the important reasons behind low-traffic neighbourhood schemes - their part in tackling pressing issues of air quality, road safety and, above all, environmental sustainability. However unwelcome it might be to some people, for local and national government the urgent need to fight climate change must take precedence over all other considerations. Reducing car usage is an absolutely essential part of this, and low-traffic neighbourhoods are meant to discourage short journeys by car and make sustainable alternatives more attractive.
Leaflet distributed to homes in the Fox Lane area
The consultation for the Fox Lane & Surrounding Streets Quieter Neighbourhood scheme is now open and you are invited to share your comments on the trial.
To submit your comments onlin you will need a Let's Talk Enfield account. Click 'Register' or 'Sign In' at the top right corner of the project page http://letstalk.enfield.gov.uk/foxlaneQN. Responses online can be from individuals and/or representations from community groups. If you would prefer, paper copies of the consultation can be requested, more details are below.
As per our previous correspondence, the trial of the Fox Lane & Surrounding Streets Quieter Neighbourhood is being introduced using Experimental Traffic Orders (ETO). This allows us to make necessary changes to the scheme during the trial period and for the community to comment once the the scheme is in place. The purpose of this process is to understand how the measures work in practice and how they are experienced by people who live, work or visit the area.
Prior to implementation of the trial, we consulted with all the emergency services (London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade and the Police) which is our statutory duty, and we will continue this conversation during the trial and make changes as appropriate.
We recognise that there have been a range of views on this scheme and welcome your comments through this process. The consultation will be open for six months and will provide an opportunity for views to be shared throughout that time - you can respond more than once should you wish. If any changes are made to the trial during this time you will be informed, and the consultation period may be extended.
Depending on the Covid-19 situation, we will look to arrange a pop-up consultation event in the local area. This will provide a further opportunity for feedback intended primarily for those in the community who require an alternative to completing the consultation online or on paper.
If you have already provided feedback by e-mail or other mean, this has been recorded and will be reviewed as part of the consultation. You can also choose to complete the consultation form if you wish, enabling us to collect more detailed information as part of your response.
More information about hte project, including a series of FAQs, can be found on the project page http://letstalk.enfield.gov.uk/foxlaneQN. You can also download this letter and other useful documents from the library section on the right-hand side of the project page.
Statement issued by deputy council leader Ian Barnes
16 October 2020
The Council is obliged by law to consult the emergency services on any traffic scheme. Enfield Council did so before our Quieter Neighbourhood/LTN projects were implemented. The Quieter Neighbourhood projects have been designed with consideration to emergency services response times.
Enfield Council's engagement with the emergency services continues throughout the consultation period as the trials are reviewed. This approach has already allowed the council to receive feedback from the London Fire Brigade and make some adjustments to the schemes.
The London Ambulance Service and Metropolitan Police have independently made the operational decision not to carry the keys used in any road management schemes across London, so before implementation councils work with the emergency services to agree specific routes to allow for unhindered journeys. In the case of Warwick Road, this has meant the Council removed the previous width restriction gate and installed a camera.
Enfield Council has contacted the London Ambulance Services again to request that further communication is sent to their operatives reminding them of the unhindered routes they have agreed to use in the Bowes and Fox Lane LTN areas.
Please note that the Chief Operating Officer of the London Ambulance Service, Khadir Meer, publicly stated on 29 September 2020: "We are not aware of any LTNs that have led to any patient safety concerns or any significant delays."
Enfield Council will continue its commitment to do everything within our power to improve air quality, improve road safety and fight climate change. We will work with residents, businesses and stakeholders to encourage more sustainable forms of transport when taking shorter journeys.
If residents wish to comment on the Quieter Neighbourhood projects, the project pages can be found here: https://letstalk.enfield.gov.uk/neighbourhoods