Mayor Lutfur Rahman & Tower Hamlets Council face Legal Challenges

A campaign group, Save Our Safer Streets, has officially filed a claim for a Judicial Review challenging Tower Hamlets Council following its decision to dismantle low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) infrastructure in September.

The group alleges that the council violated the law on multiple fronts, including disregarding government guidance, conducting a flawed consultation process, and insufficiently assessing the allocation of £2.5 Million for the removal.

The LTNs, implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, aimed to curb motor traffic in residential areas using measures like cameras, planters, or lockable bollards. Bethnal Green, Brick Lane, and other areas in the borough witnessed the introduction of these traffic-calming initiatives.

Tower Hamlets Council, defending its decision, emphasized that LTNs were not a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, it announced a £6m investment in “active travel” schemes as an alternative.

????UPDATE ????Today, we officially submitted our claim for Judicial Review of the dangerous decision by @LutfurRahmanTH to rip out cycle lanes and safer streets in Bethnal Green ????‍♂️????.

The mayor has ignored doctors, teachers, the police and the will of the majority of residents in… pic.twitter.com/QOghqDzF5z

— Save Our Safer Streets – Bethnal Green (@SaveBGstreets) December 6, 2023

Jane Harris, Campaigner, stated “This legal challenge is an absolute last resort for us. We have tried for a year and a half to meet the Mayor and look at the specific issues and solutions for Bethnal Green, but he hasn’t even bothered to visit the scheme, let alone meet us.”

Public sentiment on the LTNs was mixed, as revealed by papers published a week before the decision. In Bethnal Green, 58% of residents supported LTN measures, while 41% favored removal. Similar sentiments were observed in Brick Lane, where 59% wanted the closures to stay, and 41% preferred removal.

In September, Mayor Lutfur Rahman acknowledged the divisive nature of LTNs, but agreed that they had benefited local air quality. While this was the case, they rerouted traffic to arterial routes primarily populated by less affluent neighborhoods.

Tower Hamlets Council has declined to comment on the impending legal action.