Councillor Sophie McGeevor who was the cabinet member for Environment & Transport and led the implementation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods has departed on six months maternity leave. Her replacement is Councillor Patrick Codd.
Will there be a change of policy? We will have to wait and see. But you can see what Cllr Codd had to say at his confirmation hearing here: https://councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=7628&x=1 . He did respond to one question on the Lee Green LTN.
He is clearly a big believer in the “climate emergency”. Lewisham councillors fail to recognise that regardless of all their huffing and puffing over climate change, they are unlikely to have any significant influence over climate. Only central Government will really have any impact on emissions that are alleged to be the cause of climate change.
If you have any comments to make to Councillor Codd his email address is Cllr_Patrick.Codd@lewisham.gov.uk
Do LTNs Cut Accidents?
One claim that has been made recently is that LTNs cut road accidents. The report on which this claim is based is a very biased and unscientific study of casualty reports in London. You can read my comments on it here: https://freedomfordrivers.blog/2021/07/24/do-ltns-cut-accidents/
LibDem Comments on LTN
A very good analysis of the problems generated by the Lee Green LTN has been published by Lewisham Liberal Democrats. See https://www.lewishamlibdems.org.uk/leegreenltn_consultation
For example they say: “Nowhere do we have real evidence that the LTN has resulted in traffic ‘evaporating’ from the area, because Council statistics are mostly pandemic figures. If there’s been no overall reduction in traffic, then the only thing that the LTN has achieved is a displacement of traffic, with enforced longer journeys in slow moving traffic merely creating more pollution”. The report is well worth reading.
The conclusion must be that the LTN needs to be completely rethought.
Public Consultation Closing Soon
If you have not yet responded to the public consultation on the Lee Green LTN please do so now as it closes on the 8th August. Go here: https://lewisham.gov.uk/ltnconsultation . PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU GIVE YOU VIEWS TO IT!
Roger Lawson
Tel: 020-8295-0378