Blocked-off roads: Lambeth’s response to Government LTN survey doesn’t answer all of the Department for Transport’s questions directly…

Lambeth council have made public their response to a Government Low Traffic Neighbourhoods survey following a Freedom of Information request by News From Crystal Palace.

But there are NO direct answers to some of the Department for Transport’s actual questions in Lambeth council’s main response, including:

• Details of negative impacts, for example impacts on air quality or congestion on boundary roads;
• Whether or not (for experimental and permanent orders) emergency services were consulted – and if so what was / were their reactions?;
• Scheme/s development cost/s (including consultation);
• Scheme/s construction cost/s; and
• How many PCNs have been issued for the scheme/s since May 2020?

In their response Lambeth say: “Lambeth have delivered five permanent Low Traffic Neighbourhoods since 2020, and have just  launched the sixth trial scheme in Brixton Hill.

“Each scheme has been comprehensively and independently assessed based on traffic, air quality models, and public consultation exercises reviewing over 18,000 individual responses…

“These first five schemes have proven extremely effective in achieving Lambeth and the Department  for Transport’s objectives, with the following impacts….”

These include: Reducing traffic on Lambeth’s streets; a cumulative 10 per cent reduction in traffic (including on boundary roads) and up to 75 pc reduction in speeding in LTN areas.

The DfT questions which News From Crystal Palace also sought answers for are:

1: How many DfT funded LTN schemes have Lambeth council installed since March 2020, meeting the following definition? ‘A type of transport scheme seeking to remove or substantially reduce through motor traffic from a residential area, through the use of traffic signed restrictions or physical features such as planters.’

2: Scheme name/s

3: Scheme location/s

4: If readily available, please upload any evidence on impacts of the LTN scheme (including both positive and negative impacts, for example impacts on air quality or congestion on boundary roads)

5: For experimental and permanent orders were emergency services consulted as set out in The Local Authorities’ Traffic Order (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996? If so what was / were their reactions?

6: Scheme/s cost/s Please provide the nearest estimate if you are unsure of the exact cost. Provide your answer as a whole number without any additional text (e.g. ‘150000’, NOT ‘£150k’ or ‘£150,000’).

Scheme/s development cost/s (including consultation)

Scheme/s construction cost/s

How many PCNs have been issued for the scheme/s since May 2020?

How many PCNs have been challenged by representation to you as the issuing authority?

How many have you overturned?

(Lambeth council’s response in full, words placed in bold type by Lambeth council – Ed.):

Dear Anthony Ferguson,
REVIEW OF LOW TRAFFIC NEIGHBOURHOODS
Thank you for your letter dated 14 September 2023.

Lambeth have delivered five permanent Low Traffic Neighbourhoods since 2020, and have just  launched the sixth trial scheme in Brixton Hill.

Each scheme has been comprehensively and independently assessed based on traffic, air quality models, and public consultation exercises reviewing over 18,000 individual responses and this information is available in the links below.

These first five schemes have proven extremely effective in achieving Lambeth and the Department  for Transport’s objectives, with the following impacts:

• Reduce traffic on Lambeth’s streets
• Cumulative 10 per cent reduction in traffic (including on boundary roads)
• Reduce road danger
• Up to 75 pc reduction in speeding in LTN areas
• London wide data shows up to 85 pc reduction in all  causalities (spelt as causali�es in Lambeth’s FOI response to NFCP – Ed.) with no negative impact on boundary roads
•  Increase active travel
• 72 pc increase in cycling within LTN areas, increases up to 30 pc on boundary roads.The LTNs have also gone a long way to support Lambeth’s Climate Action Plan target of 27 pc reduction in traffic by 2030 as well as underpinning other key programmes such as Healthy Routes the Kerbside Strategy Implementation Plan.

To build on the success of the LTNs we have rolled out an ambitious ‘Big Shift’ programme to support residents and businesses switch to cleaner modes of transport via projects such as an e-cargo bike  rental scheme and cycle training.

We have discharged our legal duties under the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 as well as the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty and any impact on Human Rights.

You can read the full  decision report papers including monitoring reports and Equalities Impact Assessments below at the links below.

• Oval LTN (one main document of 30 pages plus six appendices – Ed.)
• Ferndale LTN (One main document of 29 pages plus eight appendices – Ed.)
• Streatham Hill LTN (One main document of 28 pages plus 13 appendices – Ed.)
• Railton LTN (One main document of 32 pages plus 10 appendices – Ed.)
• Tulse Hill LTN (One main document of 29 pages plus nine appendices – Ed.)

Thank you for giving us this opportunity to tell  you about the important work we are doing to improve our streets. We hope that this will result in a best-practice guidance that we can use to further improve the safety and environment for local people.
Yours sincerely,
Joshua Learner
Head of Transport Strategy and Programmes
Transport Strategy & Projects

(Editor’s note: The FOI answers came with question marks inserted in place of various letters, especially ‘ti’ and also ‘f.’)

Lambeth council’s response does not mention the Streatham Wells LTN or the Brixton Hill LTN:

The Streatham Wells LTN

• ODDR – Streatham Wells LTN Experimental Scheme  PDF 706 KB (One main documenmt of 40 pages, eight appendices)
• Appendix A – EQIA  PDF 2 MB
• Appendix B – Scheme Designs  PDF 12 MB
• Appendix C – LTN Configuration Map  PDF 2 MB
• Appendix D – Data extracts  PDF 6 MB
• Appendix E – Covid-19 Monitoring Strategy  PDF 1 MB
• Appendix F – Engagement Report 1  PDF 8 MB (30 pages)
• Appendix G – Engagement Report 2  PDF 33 MB (118 pages)

• Engagement Report – 21 November 2022 to 8 January 2023 (118 pages)
• Engagement Report – November 2021 to August 2022 (30 pages)

The Brixton Hill LTN

• ODDR – Brixton Hill LTN Experimental Scheme_v1_  PDF 726 KB (One main document of 32 pages plus 13 appendices)
• Appendix A – Brixton Hill LTN Trial Overview  PDF 198 KB
• Appendix B – Equalities Impact Assessment  PDF 1 MB
• Appendix C i – BHLTN-C-P1-LBL-F-02-02-01  PDF 2 MB
• Appendix C ii – BHLTN-C-P1-LBL-F-01-01-01  PDF 754 KB
• Appendix C iii – BHLTN-C-P1-LBL-F-04-03-01  PDF 601 KB
• Appendix C iv – BHLTN-C-P1-LBL-F-06-03-01  PDF 665 KB
• Appendix C v – BHLTN-C-P1-LBL-F-05-00-01  PDF 435 KB
• Appendix C vi – BHLTN-C-P1-LBL-F-09-02-01  PDF 310 KB
• Appendix C vii – BHLTN-C-P1-LBL-F-07-00-01  PDF 2 MB
• Appendix C viii – BHLTN-C-P1-LBL-F-08-00-01  PDF 775 KB
• Appendix D – Summary of Baseline Traffic Data  PDF 15 MB
• Appendix E – Engagement Summary Report (November 2021 – August 2022)  PDF 4 MB
• Appendix F – Engagement Summary Report (December 2022 – February 2023)  PDF 36 MB