In response to the comments from Mayor Damien Egan mentioned in our last newsletter, we have sent him the letter you can read here: https://www.freedomfordrivers.org/Egan-Letter.pdf 

It spells out the number of people who signed the petition to remove the road closures (now over 7,500) and gives a link to many of the complaints we have received directly (see here: https://www.freedomfordrivers.org/Lewisham-Comments-Received.pdf  ). You’ll be astonished to read the number and ferocity of the complaints which we have received and which are still coming in.

But Lewisham Councillors do not yet seem to have accepted that their grand scheme was not just a waste of money, but is actually very damaging.

Councillor James Rathbone has actually posted a tweet suggesting that rising traffic levels in Lewisham over the last ten years was a major problem, hence the need for the road closures to reduce traffic. In reality traffic levels have been falling. You can see my refutation of his claims in this blog post: https://abdlondon.wordpress.com/2020/09/24/who-is-right-about-traffic-in-london/  

The problem of traffic congestion in London is due to bad traffic management and Lewisham’s recent road closures are a prime example of that.

The rising tide of opposition to Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes is certainly having an impact, not just in Lewisham but in other boroughs. Local pressure groups have sprung up against them all over London. More information will follow on that soon.

But in the meantime you may like to watch this video of the impact of road closures in Southwark on ambulance services: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsu5YoKIUBc&feature=youtu.be  

Don’t just accept the road closures – make sure you object!

It’s not too late to get your neighbours, friends, relations and work colleagues to sign the petition. Send them a message containing this link: http://chng.it/f8PH2L2LZq  or simply forward this message.

Roger Lawson

Tel: 020-8295-0378

Email: RL2019@abd.org.uk

Campaign web page: https://www.freedomfordrivers.org/lewisham.htm

I will let you know of further news as it arises.