ePetition - Stop the current Hanover & Tarner LTN. Bring ‘liveable’ benefits to all the Hanover & Elm Grove ward.
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ePetition details
Stop the current Hanover & Tarner LTN. Bring ‘liveable’ benefits to all the Hanover & Elm Grove ward.
The premise of a LTN is that it is bordered by a “major road network” to which all traffic is funnelled. We strongly believe that this is not a suitable solution for Hanover & Tarner, as the roads designated as ‘main roads’ are other residential streets where hundreds of people live; families with young children, elderly residents, students… all walks of life, and all people who deserve clean air as much as their neighbours. Beyond this, these are the streets where the community’s children go to school and nursery, namely; Elm Grove Primary School; Pepper-Pot Nursery and Orchard Day Nursery.
We want to be clear that we are not against green initiatives - we want to reduce cars in the city. We are just asking for clean air for all. The project creates an unfair divide between residents, certain streets benefit disproportionately whilst others receive no benefit - only higher traffic. This project fails to address existing real problems on the streets which need it most.
We fundamentally refute the premise that Hanover is an area "dominated by vehicles”. Hanover has a thriving community (street parties, yard sales, etc...) and a low amount of through traffic. We acknowledge there may be a problem with some roads being used as ‘rat runs’, however we oppose that this project is the correct way to address this, as it will increase air pollution on the areas which already see the highest car users. This disparity goes against Sustran’s own recommendations for where to implement a LTN(1).
Drawing comparisons to London LTN schemes’ success in overall reducing traffic to bordering roads is not reassuring. There is data from the London boroughs disproving that a LTN will benefit the boundary roads – with a potential rise of up to 44% in traffic (2). Brighton also has a fundamental different infrastructure and working / commuting patterns to London. London has a huge public transport infrastructure and the geography of Brighton; the outer limits of the South Downs and sea, mean there are not necessarily any other routes traffic can take.
We understand the current LTN is a pilot scheme, however we feel that there is no need to ‘wait and see’ what the detriment to health is, for a) residents of the boundary roads and b) children in the above listed childcare settings. We implore the council to reconsider implementing a LTN. We want to reduce cars in central Brighton however we are demanding that this is done in a fair way – providing a reduction in emissions for all not just a chosen few. With a consultation already starting on the North side of Elm Grove these issues will only be amplified as even more cars are pushed onto the ‘main roads’.
We demand that Elm Grove is considered as a core part of the constituency and that the council provides a plan to include the street in any future ‘liveable’ projects.
There is no social justice in creating greater air pollution for those living on the bordering roads, which by all account make up the more disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of the community; with more rentals, flats, HMO’s, young families, school and nurseries.
This scheme was introduced as small group of people presented a proposal to the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee. We contest that their opinion was a fair representation of Hanover & Elm Grove ward, and that our councillors are duty bound to represent all residents equally.
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(1) “How is a low traffic neighbourhood made? The design is
then decided based on what will have the greatest impact on the
neighbourhood, rather than where it will be easiest to implement.
For example, streets that have: poorest air quality, the greatest
number of schools…”
(2) “Roads OUTSIDE the LTN. On average, across 15 studies[1] traffic volumes on external/peripheral roads have increased by 4.5% with a maximum decline of 17% and a maximum increase of 44%. Across the 15 studies, there was a decline in traffic volumes on these roads in 7 studies and an increase in 8 studies.”
This ePetition ran from 24/03/2022 to 20/06/2022 and has now finished.
379 people signed this ePetition.
Council response
Thank you for presenting your petition today which has been supported by a number of people. We also welcome the views and participation of local people and stakeholders in the engagement that there has been on this project so far with officers and your ward councillors in recent meetings and co-production workshops.
The Liveable Neighbourhood pilot project is an item on today’s agenda and the officer report which includes the proposed plan, engagement reports, and draft Project Monitoring Framework, will be discussed later. The report outlines how the plan has been developed through a combination of technical design and responses to stakeholder feedback. Through this process, the plan ensures that the residential roads which are part of the boundary to the area will be an integral part of the project and they will be treated in a way that improves them by making them safer, healthier, greener and more attractive for their residents and businesses, and all those who use them.
You have rightly pointed out that there is research on other Low
Traffic Neighbourhoods, including some in London, and that these
have shown varying results on changes in traffic flows.
That is why we have made this a pilot project and undertaken a
range of engagement to gather views. We will also monitor the
results of the various local changes while taking account of other
changes across the city to make sure that the pilot scheme will
fulfil its objectives and make it a success.
Measures will include new crossing points and traffic calming measures to make streets safer. Raised areas for flowers and shrubs and better landscaping will also be introduced. Other wider city initiatives will also help improve local environments where traffic flows are higher. The boundary roads provide regular bus services for local people and are part of the network that carries general traffic across the city. Further upgrades in bus fleet and the council’s fleet are currently in the process of transitioning over to greener and in some cases to fully electric engine technology, and more electric vehicles are being used as we increase the availability of charging points. The project will also include twelve new air quality monitors across the scheme. Most of these will be on the boundary roads, and there will be real-time monitors in two schools including Elm Grove Primary and a third in Orchard Day Nursery on Queens Park Road as part of a new scheme that has been started.
We know that pavement parking and driving on pavements creates real dangers that residents should simply not have to tolerate. It is not acceptable that we do not have the powers to address this in an efficient way, as we should not have to reclaim pavement space for pedestrians from vehicles because of the current law. We have been actively leading work for nearly 10 years to tackle this across the city and continuously lobbying the Government for the powers that we need to fully address it. We are still waiting for the outcome of the national consultation that finally took place in 2020, but if there is no positive decision soon, then we will have to consider taking more local action to address this, especially in Elm Grove.
The next step for the wider project involves wider public consultation and we look forward to continuing to work with the local community and receiving and responding to people’s views. This will help us further review and revise the scheme over the coming months, before it is reported back to this committee later this year for a final decision on the design. Works to the boundary roads are proposed to be permanent, but there will also be a further 6-month consultation period during which we can decide if we need to amend parts of the scheme that are introduced within an experimental traffic regulation order. There will then be a further twelve months within which a decision will need to be made about whether those measures are made permanent or should be removed. The approach to monitoring and continued engagement will enable us to record and be notified of any significant issues, which can then be reviewed. If further action is necessary, it will be taken.
The initial discussions and decisions that were the catalyst for bring forward this project have now, quite rightly, been broadened out into the wider community and generated further discussion and debate. Thank you for therefore presenting your petition, which further assists us as a committee in hearing and understanding people’s views about the proposals. These will continue to be taken into account as the design work progresses. This will help us get the right balance of measures across a wide area. Monitoring will then help us understand how to achieve the best outcomes possible to make your local area a more liveable neighbourhood for everyone.