What do you think?
TOWER HAMLETS: Papers published ahead of a decision next week (20 Sept) on the future of the Liveable Streets scheme have revealed that 58% of local residents want to keep the new road layouts in place.
The latest council report also shows that air quality has improved both within the scheme and on boundary roads.
The cabinet papers make public the results of a consultation carried out in February – the second in less than a year. Both consultations have found that residents support the status quo. The more detailed 2019 consultation that inspired the scheme also reported strong resident support for the Liveable Streets schemes. However, the 2021 Aspire manifesto committed to reversing them.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman and his Cabinet will decide on the future of the schemes next Wednesday. Alongside the two options offered to residents in the consultation – Option 1 to reverse the schemes or Option 2 to keep them – the papers also include a new option which has been developed by the council behind closed doors.
Under option 3, over 80% of the scheme removals proposed by option 1 would still be carried out, at an estimated cost of £1.2m which is not currently in the council budget. Bart’s Hospital, the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London, local schools and 90% of businesses have all supported ‘option 2’ or keeping the schemes as they are, given the improvements to health, safety and anti-social behaviour.
If the council decided to remove the schemes, it would be the first in the country to do so against the will of residents.
Rob Andari from local campaign group Save Our Safer Streets said: “Residents have repeatedly rejected option 1. It’s pretty safe to assume they wouldn’t welcome a decision that delivers 81% of the outcome they didn’t want, under this new, unconsulted third option 3.
“Lutfur Rahman promised to be a ‘listening Mayor’ – here is his chance to come good on that promise. At least 58% of residents have said they want to keep the current street designs and save the council more than a million pounds.
“We would love the council to spend that money on things Tower Hamlets residents really need like better housing, more funding for schools and more help during the cost of living crisis. It would be an insult to residents to ignore what they’ve said a third time and to spend their money making the air dirtier and making cycling and walking more dangerous at a time when people need cheap forms of transport more than ever.
“Last year, more than 3,000 local people signed a petition calling on the council to stop, listen and improve its plans. They haven’t stopped, they aren’t listening and they have proposed no improvements to what we already have today.”
