Around the UK Low Traffic schemes introduced by local councils are being scrapped after angry backlash from residents. Sound familiar?

The articles show schemes introduced too quickly without consultation & detrimental to local residents & businesses.

Maybe St Ives Town Council & The Town Deal Board should take note.

Read the details here & if you have information on any we are missing, please share them with us by email here.

"Councils will have to consider local residents' views before introducing new low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) under new government guidance.

Failing to be confident of local support could affect future transport funding, under the new guidance.

"I think there are places where councils haven't taken people with them. There are examples during the pandemic when there was no consultation. Things were driven through for ideological reasons," Transport Secretary Mark Harper said on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme."

By Helen Catt, political correspondent & Lauren Turner, BBC News, Sunday 17th March 2024

Read the full article here.

See the programme on BBC iPlayer below.

"A new low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) is causing such bad congestion that buses running along its boundary are taking up to two hours to travel less than three miles."

Andrew Ellson,The Times, Sunday February 25 2024, 10.30am, 

Read the full article here.

“Politicians have no idea of the consequences on our lives, because they didn’t ask us,” Alaszewska says. Ironically, her family chose not to own a car for environmental reasons, but now she is “leaning” towards buying one because their journeys have become so difficult.

By Anoosh Chakelian
6 November 2020
updated 05 Oct 2023 8:46am

Read the full article here.

"Newcastle City Council announced on Wednesday that the scheme in Jesmond would be scrapped on Monday. The trial, which launched last March, was due to run until September."

"Councillor Marion Williams, who is responsible for transport, said the LTN "achieved many of it's objectives", external, but it needed to "work for local people" which "some aspects of the scheme have failed to do."

"In a report, external detailing the decision, the Labour-run local authority said all those who identified as local business owners in its consultation “expressed a negative view”  It said some presented data which showed a reduction in customers and revenue."

BBC News - 2 Feb 2024

Read the full article here.

Read the report here.

"Southwark council has been forced to scrap plans to introduce a new low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) following a backlash from residents.

It’s time the council stopped telling residents it’s for our own good and, instead, come up with a better and fairer scheme that doesn’t displace traffic, doesn’t discriminate against vulnerable, vehicle-dependent road users, and doesn’t damage local shops and businesses.”"

Sami Quadri, The Standard - 22 May 2023

Read the full article here.

"What happens when ideology and wishful thinking trump evidence-based policy? The answer, in case-study form, is low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs).

These schemes are a key part of the government’s plan to encourage walking and cycling. Yet the National Audit Office has now concluded that too many LTNs are poorly designed and were implemented with undue haste."

Andrew Ellson, The Times 7 Jun 2023

Read the full article here. (Paywalled - Requires a Times Subscription.)

"Low-traffic zones

Sir, Here in Islington, where some of the first low-traffic neighbourhoods were introduced (letters, Feb 27), businesses and residents weren’t even consulted before implementation. We were told they were being “trialled” for 18 months and then we were consulted; any criticisms seem to have been largely ignored. There is nothing democratic in a process carried out in this way. The sooner Rishi Sunak implements his review, the better.

Anneke Berrill
London N1"

The remarks of the transport secretary, Louise Haigh, that councils which want more low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) have her “absolute support” will set alarm bells ringing. She criticises the previous government for adopting a top-down approach. But don’t her remarks suggest top-down government approval for LTNs, particularly when she hinted that financial help might be available?

John Stewart, The Times - Thursday August 22 2024

Read the full article here.