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Low Traffic Neighbourhood in Ealing ripped out 'during school run'ANPR protected LTN in LB Ealing

Low Traffic Neighbourhood in Ealing ripped out 'during school run'

"It’s truly embarrassing to live in Ealing right now."...
by Will Bolton
Sun, May 23, 2021 12:00
39

A Low Traffic Neighbourhood being trialled in Ealing has been shut down by the council.

The council claim the closing of a nearby road for a period of two months means they were left with no option other than to shut down LTN21. 

It also said however that 'the implementation of low traffic neighbourhoods has caused significant division within local communities'.

Shortly after Ealing Council announced its decision, a local school posted a warning on its website urging children and parents to take 'extra care' while travelling.

The road due for closure, Swyncombe Avenue, links Hounslow and Ealing on the southern border of the LTN21 but is closing to eastbound traffic from Monday. 

The council allege this closure would make LTN21 unworkable and therefore they have been forced to remove it this weekend

Social media users said that the removal of the LTN began on Friday 'during the school run'.

The council says ultimately it wants people living in LTNs to be the ones to have the final say on the trial schemes.

This will be done through a 'Controlled Parking Zone' style consultation on each LTN in the borough, 'keeping schemes that work and are supported, and removing those that do not'.

Ealing Council Leader Peter Mason (Labour) said: “Ealing Council promised to listen to local people’s views on active travel initiatives like LTNs, and we have done just that.

"The decision on LTN 21 has been brought forward because of the closure of Swyncombe Avenue and we will be ending the trial this weekend. 

“Remaining LTNs will be subject to a CPZ style consultation, with a vote for local people on whether they think the LTNs will work in their neighbourhoods.

“I’ve pledged that the council I lead will be open, transparent and inclusive. That means being honest about what works and what doesn’t. 

“This decision is about giving local people control over change in their neighbourhoods. Our commitment to tackling the climate emergency and enabling active travel and cycling remains unchanged, but we know we must take people with us.”

Ealing Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Gary Malcom responded to the news by demanding all LTNs are removed.

Following the announcement, a local school in the area, Fielding Primary urged children to take extra care when walking home. 

Ealing warning from school

Posting on its website, the school warned:  "Pupils and parents are recommended to take extra care when travelling to and from school because traffic levels may change.

"Teachers are talking to classes this afternoon about taking extra care walking home from school today."

Low Traffic Neighbourhood
Ealing

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33 comments

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Hirsute replied to eburtthebike | 3 years ago
2 likes

I think it means it is racist against white people as they can no longer drop off didums in their wankpanzer and diddums has to walk.

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PsiMonk replied to Dave Dave | 3 years ago
8 likes
Dave Dave wrote:
AndyEaling wrote:
Dave Dave wrote:

Yay LTNs! Yay, send all the traffic down the povvos' roads! Yay!

Is there a more egregious example of how LTNs can be really bad than the dreadful mess in Ealing? The actual reason the council's taking them out is that it was about to lose a legal challenge against the unlawfully discriminatory effect of the ones it put in. 

When equalities law says the effects of something are racist, perhaps reconsider your plans...

Just to be clear, this is not the case. Ealing has suspended LTN21 - the many other temporary LTNs remain. The council has suspended LTN21 because of road works.

Not true. The council rapidly arranged some roadworks to save face. LTN21 was about to face (and obviously lose) a court challenge under equalities law. Obviously most, if not all, LTNs are deeply discriminatory, but this one is particularly egregious. 

Have you actually looked at the map of it, or are you just knee-jerking? It moves traffic away from one school (full of rich white kids) and some allotments, onto a road with three schools (which just happen to be full of poor BAME kids). It's absolutely blatant. Absolutely disgusting, too.

I mean, really, I can say just about anything on social media - the moon is made of cheese, the Royal family are lizards, the moon landings are fake. Doesn't make any of it true.

Folks claim all the time that LTNs are racist. But there's actually been some fairly good research on the data available for LTNs delivered in the last year, including the Ealing ones, that points out that you're actually slightly more likely to live inside an LTN if you're a person of colour than white. And that across London, LTNs have been broadly delivered socially equitably - although some, it's true, more than others.

Folks also claim that roadworks have been put in to dodge court cases, or that every LTN is full of white rich people while every boundary road is full of poor black people. Again, this is not based in reality. This is just making stuff up on social media because you're angry. Maybe, maybe, Ealing's LTN21 did displace away from a rich white people's primary and allotments to three schools full of "poor BAME kids". Maybe that's true. I don't know. I do know the general research contradicts that across London LTNs in general delivered over the last year. And more, I know, that the very last people I'd trust for information are frothing anti-LTN types on social media called "Dave Dave" who present such stuff without any apparent evidence or data. 'What I say goes' isn't a good starting point for any debate IMO.

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to PsiMonk | 3 years ago
1 like
PsiMonk wrote:

I mean, really, I can say just about anything on social media - the moon is made of cheese, the Royal family are lizards, the moon landings are fake. Doesn't make any of it true.

Apart from the Royal Family thing, that's true.

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