Council contractors arrived in the dead of night to move barriers and a play area that formed part of a “school street” in Tower Hamlets.
It is the latest twist in the battle to save the road safety scheme in Chisenhale Road in Bow, which Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman wants to axe.
Parents believe the contractors – who were twice forced to retreat after young children mounted barricades to save their school street – arrived around 1am on Thursday to avoid another confrontation.
They say the area was left “a mess”, with items strewn across the street.
We noticed that Chisenhale’s Play Space has been removed - what are your thoughts on its removal? pic.twitter.com/6zTAlVvvzu
— Roman Road LDN - news and culture magazine (@RomanRoadLDN) December 1, 2022
Some described their actions as “despicable” and said of Tower Hamlets: “Is there a more wretched council in the country at the moment?”
Pictures posted on social media showed that the wooden “walls” of an outdoor play area that had prevented Chisenhale Road being used as a “rat run” by motorists had been pushed to the side of the road, enabling vehicles to pass through the residential area.
Yes, it’s gone. Somehow we slept though it. pic.twitter.com/7newhkm1OC
— Rebecca Gibbs (@Verytallbecca) December 1, 2022
Parents said planters and wooden barriers had also been moved in adjacent Vivian Road, making it impossible to see pupils as they exited the Chisenhale primary school gates.
Rupert George, one of the parent campaigners, said: “It’s happened in the middle of the night with no notice and no follow-up engagement from the council about how they tackle the child road-safety concerns that parents now have.”
Mr Rahman, who regained power in May on a pledge to reopen borough roads to traffic, began moves to remove the school street after the 18-month experimental traffic order, under which it was installed during the pandemic, expired.
Last month parents met with council officials in an attempt to find a compromise solution but campaigners said nothing had resulted. “We have heard nothing from the council,” Mr George said. “There has been no follow-up or response following on from our initial meeting.”
Some residents said the play area had become a magnet for anti-social behaviour late at night.
There are more than 500 school streets across London. Last month London mayor Sadiq Khan backed the protesters, saying: “Children are rightly standing up for their right to breathe clean air when they go to school - and they should be listened to.”
Tower Hamlets council has been approached for comment by the Standard.
