At last Thursday's full meeting Enfield councillors rejected a call by the Conservative and Community First groups to remove the low-traffic neighbourhood schemes and allow through traffic to use all streets in the Bowes and Fox Lane quieter neighbourhoods.
The debate has been written up in some detail by local democracy reporter Simon Allin and his report is available on both the Enfield Independent and Enfield Dispatch websites. Additionally, a recording of the debate (though not the rest of the evening's business) has appeared on YouTube - see below - and the two main speeches have been published - you can read them by clicking on the blue and red headers below.
Speech by Cllr Maria Alexandrou
Speech by Cllr Maria Alexandrou (Conservative, Winchmore Hill)
The Opposition puts forward this paper tonight because of the huge impact the low traffic neighbourhoods have had on our borough.
This Labour council is lurching unsteadily from one disaster to the next.
From unwanted fortnightly waste collections turning Enfield into a huge flytip, to the inept implementation of LTN schemes with no proper consultation, with no proper engagement and without support from residents.
Residents are loudly against LTNs but their views are ignored.
People living on roads bordering the LTNs were denied the opportunity to comment despite suffering the obvious blights imposed by the scheme.
The flawed consultation included the council’s failure to provide readily available paper copies of the consultation. The digital consultation excludes the weakest and the most vulnerable. The old, the disabled and those with reduced income have no digital access and are being denied a voice.
Congestion has overwhelmed Enfield with traffic displacement forced onto the main arteries of the Enfield’s road network such as Bourne Hill leading up to Southgate circus, Aldermans hill, Green Lanes and Cannon hill.
Despite the gridlock, the council has been careful not to measure traffic fumes on these roads with pollution monitoring. They know what it would show. Roads are now too dangerous to cross and people are less inclined to walk.
The increased pollution and increased travel times and consequently delays to bus journeys and emergency services is maximising the very matters the LTNs were supposed to prevent.
Enfield dispatch (27.12.2020) quoted the London Ambulance
“ changes to road layouts, traffic management schemes and road closures all have the potential to impede our response to the most critically ill people and could delay lifesaving treatments.”
Pharmacies already struggle to deliver medicines to the vulnerable and this has a cost to the viability of the business and to residents reliant on prompt delivery of medicine. Local carers no longer have the option of a vehicle providing a lifeline.
The cabinet member should have ensured but failed to organise any risk assessment for local businesses. A local resident surveyed over 50 businesses that have lost trade. These schemes will destroy businesses as trade and customers avoid the area. Local Estate agents confirm a property slump is being created. Purchasers are withdrawing house purchase sales due to gridlocked traffic. (Peter Michaels estates).
The reality is the council uses LTNs as a golden goose. Up to the 13th January, over £1.25m was extorted from residents in paid camera fines within the LTN area. That’s 34,080 tickets issued.
This is the abandonment of ordinary working families, businesses, key workers, the elderly, and those with mobility and health issues. Women naturally feel unsafe walking along closed roads with no passing traffic which in turn denies them equality.
Across London, angry and disappointed residents’ groups are challenging councils in courts over the perceived and actual unlawfulness of councils like this one imposing their own socialist agenda under the guise of environmental care.
There’s no evidence that LTNs reduce traffic. However, there is enormous evidence that LTNs push traffic onto the surrounding roads like they have done in
Walthamstow where traffic volumes on surrounding roads have experienced an increase of 15% since the LTN was introduced. This increase was one of the highest of all London boroughs and higher than the London average of 11% (government statistical data).And car ownership in the Walthamstow village is only 47%.
The Social Injustice created is clear with traffic and traffic fumes being pushed onto poorer areas in the borough.
These schemes are also having a terrible impact on people’s mental health. People have contacted me in tears as they find it hard to get to work on time - residents talk about “crawling in traffic trying to get to work” which wasn’t the issue before the LTNs were introduced.
How can this Labour council claim to care about climate change when its’ own vehicles on instruction are parked with the engine idling, hour after hour everyday pumping toxic fumes into the atmosphere? (Yet the council is a member of the London wide anti idling campaign!)
The effect of the council’s logic and application is to create more pollution in their crusade to reduce pollution?
At the same time, these LTN schemes are punishing owners of electric vehicles! It’s a sad and lamentable fact that Enfield is telling the world it supports green initiatives by introducing a pathetic 250 electric charging points, unlike Conservative run Wandsworth who have introduced 590 with another 300 on their way.
If this council is serious about promoting more healthy and active ways to travel, where are your bike hire schemes? Where are your extra pedestrian crossings? Concentrate on fixing all the uneven paving stones and then more people will be encouraged to walk. There’s a distinct lack of alternative travel options. At a time when people are hesitant to use public transport due to the pandemic, the car is a safe option.
Some forms of Public transport are simply inaccessible to disabled people and longer car journeys can trigger impairments that cause more pain and discomfort.
Where are the equality impact assessments? We have over 10.5k blue badge holders in Enfield and according to ageuk the percentage of people over 65 in Enfield (39k) is twice as high as many neighbouring boroughs.
These people were never contacted regarding the LTNs even though they have been severely impacted and they feel a great injustice served upon them.
This blatant discrimination has been cruelly thrust their way by the Labour council that has not considered the devastating impact on their evearyday lives.
This was clearly highlighted by Justice Lang in the high court hearing considering similar issues;
Lang criticised road closures brought in during a pandemic without consultation & also criticised the decision-making process as seriously flawed. Justice Lang also mentioned the severe consequences for those who cannot walk, cycle or use public transport & that the needs of people with protected characteristics, including the elderly or disabled were not considered “
In the Enfield Independent 2.12.19, Cllr Barnes said the trial scheme would only be made permanent and I quote“if it improves the situation for local people and works for local business”.
Sadly, I feel this Labour council has found a nice little earner to buy itself out of its financial mess.
Since these LTN schemes have proved beyond any doubt to be a complete failure on a spectacular level, the council should admit its failures and abandon the schemes.
What we have is a council that denies democracy and transparency & we will fight to remove these LTNs.
Response by Councillor Ian Barnes, Deputy Leader, Enfield Council
Response by Councillor Ian Barnes, Deputy Leader, Enfield Council)
Well it’s disappointing although not unexpected Mr Mayor that the Opposition - sensing that they might gain a few votes - are choosing to champion an unsustainable, destructive status quo.
We’re back in the Twilight Zone Mr Mayor... In the last opposition business the shape-shifting Enfield Tories argued to loosen their own Government’s Covid restrictions... restrictions we now realise weren’t strong enough as we tragically pass 100,000 deaths...
Now they’re opposing their own Government’s policy to fight climate change which will lead to many times that figure.... And in the process turning LTNs into a political football.
The Conservative Government’s recent ten-point-plan for a Green Industrial Revolution says... We will create more low-traffic neighbourhoods to stop rat-running and allow people to walk and cycle...
Let’s get one thing on the record: The main beneficiaries of low traffic neighbourhoods are all residents of this borough and in particular our children and young people.
But to believe in those benefits you must first understand and accept that we have a crisis on our hands... In the last 12 years the number of miles driven on Enfield’s roads every year has increased by over 300 million miles.
There are 120,000 cars registered in our borough, with around 20,000 more predicted in the next 20 years... This growth is completely unsustainable.
And this doesn’t include the cars rat-running through our residential streets between the North Circular and the M25... or the Hertfordshire commuters who see our borough as a huge car park and complete their journeys on the underground.
A third of all car journeys are just over a mile... that’s a 15 minute walk for those who are able... and the largest proportion of car journeys are for leisure. As a society we see cars as an expression of our personal freedom... but we have to change our thinking and see that our future must lie in cleaner air and a stable climate.
I admit it’s a challenge for all of us... but one that we must meet head-on for the sake of future generations.
LTNs aren’t new... they’re designed to encourage drivers to walk or cycle, to carry out journeys at off-peak times, use public transport when safe, combine trips, car share or not make the journey at all. Of course residents with some types of disabilities need to drive, and we hope these measures will leave the roads less congested for them in the future.
The behavioural change we want to see will have a hugely positive effect. Childhood obesity is a big issue... hardly surprising when 25% of morning traffic in London can be attributed to the ‘school run’.
Low traffic neighbourhoods can provide ‘safe corridors’ to get to schools... particularly combined with a School Street. These ‘safe corridors’ don’t just benefit residents of the LTN, they exist for residents of the surrounding area. The combination of our Fox Lane LTN & School Street has seen the number of children traveling by car to one school reduce by almost 20% in a year.
I fully understand that adapting to LTNs isn’t easy and I know they’ve led to big changes in routine for some people... Significant modal shifts take time... And Enfield residents aren’t alone... The government’s funded over 100 LTNs across London... These are tough decisions and doing the right thing requires visualising a better future... and for a responsible Council to deliver this long-term positive change.
The opposition’s report is full of misinformation. It states that ‘Low-tralfic neighbourhoods are residential roads where motor tralfic is closed oft' completely’.... This is totally untrue. In both of our LTNs you can reach every single house by car, park on those roads, walk or cycle to wherever you wish... but what you can no longer do is rat-run across residential streets to shave a few minutes off your journey.
Removing these rat-runners creates safer streets... Evidence shows that a driver on a residential street is twice as likely to kill a child walking... and three times more likely to kill a child on a bike than if they’d stayed on the main road - Our residential streets have more pedestrians, fewer crossings and more blind corners.
In the last ten years we’ve seen an explosion of cars criss-crossing Enfield's residential neighbourhoods guided by sat-nav phone apps. In the Fox Lane estate one junction saw 25,000 vehicles a week... and we clocked cars travelling at 60, 70 and even 80mph... Certain death for a child.
Another piece of the fiction in the Opposition Business report states that: ‘The Fox Lane and Bowes LTNs were implemented this summer without consulting residents’. This demonstrates the utter confusion of the Opposition concerning the two schemes so I’ll clarify...
The Fox Lane LTN began way back in November 2019 when the first LTN design was shared before a public exhibition with 400 residents. This was followed by a 6 week engagement which saw 1500 pieces of feedback... And a completely new design was our response... This went back to Ward Councillors, we produced an online webinar due to Covid... and installed the LTN in October 2020... 11 months later. There’s now a live consultation.It’s worth pointing out that the Opposition didn’t call in the decision to proceed with the Fox Lane LTN for further scrutiny... And as recently as last summer Cllr Hockney was tweeting about road safety and support for LTNs.
The origins of the Bowes LTN differ from Fox Lane. An area plagued by traffic problems due to the North Circular... We saw years of campaigning for an LTN, lobbying from Bowes Councillors, several petitions including one presented in Parliament and a perception survey.
The Bowes LTN was entirely paid for by this Opposition’s Conservative Government which imposed a punishing 8 week implementation. If we hadn’t met this timescale the Government would have reclaimed funds and penalised us in the next round... which has recently awarded us £1.5 million for further active travel schemes.
There’s a live consultation and before Christmas we met with five different groups in Bowes... And after facing some GDPR issues we’ll soon contact blue badge holders individually in both schemes to gather their feedback.
Mr Mayor, one concern of all groups and many residents is access by the Emergency Services... an important issue and I welcome the opportunity to provide reassurance.
We had to consult all emergency services by law on the LTN designs. And throughout the trial period the Council regularly seeks feedback from the Ambulance Service, the Fire Brigade and the Police.
A responsible Opposition would heed this reassurance and cease their spread of misinformation... particularly when the Chief Operating Officer of the London Ambulance Service publicly stated: “We’re not aware of any LTNs that have led to any patient safety concerns or any significant delays."
As part of the design process unhindered routes were agreed with the Ambulance Service in particular... these routes are enforced with CCTV cameras which the opposition continues to attack.
I’d prefer the cameras issued no fines... meaning drivers aren’t putting pedestrians and cyclists in danger by ignoring road signs. And if the opposition thinks the signage isn’t clear, I’d suggest contacting their Conservative Secretary of State because they all conform to his regulations. If drivers don’t recognise the signs then please consult the Highway Code.
Mr Mayor... one of the most frequent arguments I’ve heard is that LTNs cause congestion... let me correct that... the sheer amount of cars on our roads causes congestion.
I’m also told that the schemes push cars onto main roads... Well that’s exactly the point of LTNs... Sending dangerous through-traffic back to its proper place... roads designed for high volume... allowing our residential streets, where 90% of residents live, to be safer.
But I recognise that 10% of residents live on main roads... and that’s why we hope to see traffic evaporation and a reduction of vehicles... But we’ll still do everything possible to improve air quality and traffic levels on those roads as well.
We must campaign for more cycle lanes pushing traffic further from homes... introduce more trees as green buffers... and provide more pedestrian improvements. We need further investment in public transport.... And we have to lobby the Department for Transport to improve road layouts and roundabouts which were never designed for this vast amount of vehicles.
Electric vehicles will also help reduce pollution but not congestion... And to date all Green benefits have been cancelled out by the unstoppable rise of high-emitting SUVs. But for those residents with some types of disabilities who have to drive, we’re trialing lamppost charging.
Some argue the single most effective relief for main roads will be ‘road user charging by the mile’... and this is being considered by the Chancellor... It’d be useful to know tonight if Conservative members would support Rishi Sunak on this... or whether they’ll oppose yet another one of their Government policies.
A massive 39% of Enfield’s greenhouse gas emissions are from our roads and fighting climate change while making our streets safer should not be Party political.
There could be real cross-party effort to genuinely improve our borough and reap the rewards of funding for LTNs, School Streets and cycle lanes.
You don’t need to move further to the outer fringes of your Party... You don’t need to repeat the same mistake of 2017 when you opposed the cycle lanes... and lost your Southgate MP and several Tory Council seats as a result... You can join us now in recognising that residents care deeply about climate change and their children’s future... and you can refuse to accept the creeping dominance of motor vehicles in our residential streets causing pollution, disease and increased danger to our children and grandchildren.
Ultimately, if these LTN trials are unsuccessful then we’ll simply try something else... because our infrastructure can’t cope, our lungs can’t cope, our planet can’t cope and the wellbeing of our residents will always be the top priority for this administration.
Thank you Mr Mayor.
Links
Agenda and papers for the Council meeting on 28 January 2021 (Minutes of the meeting will appear on this page in due course.)
