Road safety campaigners lose high court challenge against Tower Hamlets mayor
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Save Our Safer Streets ‘extremely disappointed’ judge finds against them over removal of low traffic neighbourhoods. Road safety campaigners in east London have lost a high court challenge against the mayor of Tower Hamlets over his decision to remove three low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Bethnal Green.
The campaign group Save Our Safer Streets (SOSS) raised nearly £80,000 through a crowdfunder to bring judicial review proceedings. After a two-day hearing last month a judge ruled on Tuesday that the mayor, Lutfur Rahman, did not break the law when he announced in September 2023 that he would be removing the LTNs.
Rahman said: “I welcome the high court’s ruling that the council followed the proper procedures. We had a responsibility to fulfil the democratic mandate from voters in the May 2022 election to reopen these three roads and we also held further consultations to ensure the views of all affected residents were considered.”.
“While LTNs improve air quality in their immediate vicinity, the previous Labour administration’s botched implementation of LTNs in Tower Hamlets caused traffic congestion on main roads. This led to complaints about increased air pollution and negative impacts on the health of many who live on main roads, which are predominantly working-class households.”.
The campaigners had disputed the idea that working-class families suffered because of the traffic restrictions. Their case was backed by Transport for London (TfL), as well as local NHS trusts and the headteachers of five local schools who wrote an open letter to Rahman asking him to keep the restrictions in place.
