Protesters are claiming that Haringey has run roughshod over its own consultation after the council passed three new Low Traffic Networks (LTN’s).
The council unanimously voted through their first LTNs in Bruce Grove, St Ann’s and Bounds Green to the dismay of many residents, who declared the decision a “mockery of democracy” after a majority of respondents to the council’s own consultation opposed the plans.
One councillor who wanted to represent angry residents against the LTN’s turned up to the wrong venue and missed the vote.
The council’s consultation in Bounds Green found that 55 per cent responded negatively to reduction of traffic in the area and an average of 65 per cent were against the changes proposed.
Vicki Leonard, who organised dozens to protest the meeting on Tuesday night, said: “We are disappointed but not surprised. The council didn’t enter the consultation with an open mind and it has ignored its own findings that an average of 65 per cent of residents throughout the LTN are against it.
“It makes a mockery of any consultation and indeed democracy.
“In our area of the LTN we had over 90 per cent support for timed closures of our roads but that didn’t fit the council’s one size fits all plan.”
A business owner and mother-of-two living under the changes, added: “I’m bitterly disappointed about the result. The proposed LTN is extremely divisive. It may serve some, perhaps the people who live within the centre of the LTN well.
“For everyone else, their lives will be made miserable trying to move freely around their own doorstep.
“Haringey council has taken a sledgehammer approach to a problem that exists because of the ineptitude of a neighbouring, poorly implemented LTN and compounded it.
“It could have been handled much more sensitively, intelligently and effectively. Worst of all, they have not listened.”
Antigoni Charalambous, 61, of Lynton Gardens, said: “I regularly attend hospital appointments and getting there will be longer and more difficult.
“We are surrounded by hills and older people or those with disabilities will struggle to walk more - don’t even talk about cycling up and down them.
“The council pretended to consult us but they didn’t listen to a word we said.”
Resident Jill Brice said her weekly journeys to a local medical centre would be adversely affected.
She said: “Their stated reason is to reduce traffic. But looking at recently published fines generated by Enfield and Southwark Council it’s difficult not to think that an easy income stream isn’t driving this.”
Tanya Kreisky, resident and co-owner of Tash & Tanya an independent gift shop in Muswell Hill, said a new Enfield LTN had caused increased traffic in her area.
She said: “There is now standing traffic outside our shop for hours every day.
“A five-minute local journey can now take 25 minutes, and all that time in the car is adding to pollution levels in streets with residents, schools, the park, and our local shops. We need some traffic management, but not an LTN.
“I really feel for the residents of the roads that previously had no problem, who now look out on a jam every single day.
“I can’t imagine that it is creating more customers for local shops, as the council claims.
“I understand that they want the money offered by the government for these. I understand that they have a commitment to decrease air pollution. But instead of learning from the problems created by the one nearby, they are adding to the problem.
“Some LTNs have been a success, others disastrous. I believe this is one of the latter.”
But politicians welcomed the move that they hope will encourage residents to take up more active transport methods such as walking and cycling.
Deputy leader of Haringey council Mike Hakata jubilantly tweeted: “What a night! Colleagues voted unanimously to support the implementation of all 3 of Haringey’s first LTNs, voting for safer, cleaner, greener streets.
“We’re taking down the Welcome to Through-Traffic signs, replacing them with Streets for People.”
He added: “[There will be] 1 in the NW and 2 in the East of the borough. With 60 per cent of residents with no access to a car this will start redressing the balance in favour of a future we all want (including the car drivers) - one without gridlocked roads.”
Labour Cllr Patrick Berryman apologised for not representing protesters after turning up to the wrong venue for the vote.
“To the many Bounds Green residents who emailed their concerns about the proposed LTN for their area I apologise for not representing them at tonight’s Haringey Cabinet meeting.
“Unfortunately I went to the usual venue just ahead of the agenda item only to find the meeting had been moved to Ally Pally!
“By the time I got there the LTN had been dealt with (in all of perhaps 5mins?) Once again, sorry. I guess I could have taken part via Teams but I’m old school and still value in-person democracy.”
Ealing council has collected more than £2.8million in fines from drivers using its nine new low-traffic zones as cut throughs.
But the town hall ripped out seven of the LTNs it set up during the pandemic following the results of a consultation.
Haringey council said the LTN will build on the green recovery from the pandemic such as less traffic, cleaner air and higher levels of walking and cycling.They added on-street measures will be implemented under experimental traffic orders so that residents have an opportunity to feedback on how the measures work in practice before any decision is made on whether to make them permanent.
Cllr Hakata added: “This is the beginning of a truly transformative journey in which pedestrians, active travel and public transport are prioritised, especially on our neighbourhood roads.
“They reduce pollution, speeding, road traffic collisions and carbon emissions, at the same time as improving the walkability and cyclability of the local area, creating active travel corridors between local amenities.“We have learnt from the introduction of low traffic neighbourhoods elsewhere and undertaken a comprehensive engagement exercise, with the ideas and opinions fed into the design of each low traffic neighbourhood.
“We will continue to listen, as well as consider air quality and traffic data, before deciding whether to make the trials permanent.”
