A court ruling has confirmed that three Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Tower Hamlets cannot be removed, following a legal challenge against the council’s decision to dismantle the schemes. The judgment has been welcomed by campaigners and political figures, who say it protects road safety, air quality and community space in east London.
The disputed Tower Hamlets Low Traffic Neighbourhoods ruling relates to schemes located in Columbia Road, Arnold Circus and Old Bethnal Green Road. All three LTNs have remained in place while legal proceedings were ongoing.
The case was brought after Tower Hamlets Council announced in 2023 that it intended to remove the LTNs. The decision was challenged by campaign group Save our Safer Streets, also known as Soss, which argued that the council had acted unlawfully.
In a 26 page judgment, Lord Justice Singh, Lord Justice Arnold and Lord Justice Miles ruled that Tower Hamlets Council had breached its local implementation plan duty and failed to properly take the plan into account. The court said that a failure to reconsult residents was among the reasons the decision to remove the schemes was unlawful.
Green Party London Assembly Member Caroline Russell welcomed the outcome of the Tower Hamlets Low Traffic Neighbourhoods ruling.
“It’s a brilliant victory for Bethnal Green residents that the Judge has backed the community campaign and ruled in their favour, protecting the safer, quieter and less polluted streets provided by Tower Hamlets Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs).
“This ruling not only benefits people in Tower Hamlets, but all Londoners are better off.
“The Judge has reaffirmed what campaigners and I have said all along in response to Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s move to scrap the Healthy Streets measures. As the 1999 GLA Act makes clear, the Mayor of London has the legal power to intervene and prevent Tower Hamlets from removing these measures.
“This judgement determines, once and for all, that the Mayor of London has the authority to insist Councils implement the road schemes they propose using Local Implementation Plans (LIPs) in line with his Mayoral Transport Strategy (MTS).
“Thanks to this ruling, people in Bethnal Green can continue to enjoy quieter and less traffic-congested streets, allowing children to travel to school without danger, older people to cross the roads safely and the whole community to enjoy cleaner air.”
Campaigners also described the Tower Hamlets Low Traffic Neighbourhoods ruling as a win for residents. Soss said “thousands of local residents will be extremely pleased and relieved” by the outcome.
Ted Maxwell, of Soss, said: “Things have changed a lot in the three and a half years since the mayor first wanted to rip out the LTNs.
“More and more people across Tower Hamlets appreciate the benefits brought by the calmer streets, and at a time when so many of our fellow residents are struggling with the cost of living there are so many better ways to spend public funds than on destroying community space and making our streets more dangerous and putting people’s health at risk.
“We have the second-highest rates of childhood obesity in London, one of the highest rates of hit-and-runs in London and 71% of our children live in poverty.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “Walking and cycling infrastructure, such as LTNs, plays an important role in making our streets safer and encouraging more active travel across London.
“We are very pleased with the court’s decision in this case, which provides welcome clarity on the scope of London boroughs’ legal duties to implement and retain schemes funded by TfL to implement the mayor’s transport strategy.”
A spokesperson for Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said: “It’s good for road safety and reducing road danger, it’s good for tackling air pollution and important for delivering healthy, more liveable neighbourhoods.”
Tower Hamlets Council said it was disappointed with the decision and indicated it would seek to challenge the Tower Hamlets Low Traffic Neighbourhoods ruling further. A spokesperson said: “We are disappointed with the ruling, not least because previously the courts have ruled in our favour.
“We will review the judgment, which has significant implications across London, and we will be seeking permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.”
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods aim to reduce traffic in residential areas using measures such as cameras, planters or lockable bollards. The court decision follows other recent legal cases involving LTNs in London, including a landmark High Court ruling last year involving Lambeth Council.
