London borough plans to ban vehicles from most of its roads in traffic crackdown

A young cyclist passes through the barriers that form an LTN (Low Traffic Neighbourhood), an experimental closure by Southwark Council preventing motorists from accessing the junction of Carlton Avenue and Dulwich Village. Restrictions also prevent traffic from passing through at morning and afternoon rush-hour times in the borough of Southwark, on 14th June 2021, in London, England. (photo by Richard Baker/In Pictures via Getty Images) — The move could be ‘the country’s most ambitious plan’ to tackle toxic air (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)

The sight of motorised vehicles could soon be a thing of the past in one London borough.

Hackney Council plans to ban most road traffic from 75% of its roads.

The move is an expansion of Low Traffic Neighbourhood measures and would be ‘the country’s most ambitious plan’ to tackle toxic air, according to the authority.

Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville said the scheme would give Hackney the capital’s highest levels of cycle parking, car parking restrictions and public electric vehicle chargers.

Dalston, Hoxton, Chatsworth Road, Craven Walk, Cazenove Road and Stamford Hill will all have the measures installed between now and 2025/26.

Five areas in Hackney Central will be made ‘greener’ and Pembury Circus junction will be redesigned using some of the £19,000,000 given by the Government’s Levelling Up fund for the rejuvenation of the area.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods use a mixture of physical barriers – such as planters and bollards – and traffic cameras to prevent vehicles from entering streets while keeping them accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.

Disabled drivers with blue passes are also able to bypass some of these barriers.

Bollards have been placed in a street in Cowley near Oxford, to create a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN). The scheme which has been popular with councils all over the UK during the COVID-19 lockdowns to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists and reduce vehicle traffic in residential areas. Picture date: Wednesday May 5, 2021. — LTNs use a mixture of physical barriers and cameras to reduce traffic (Picture: PA)

EMBARGOED TO 0001 THURSDAY DECEMBER 29 File photo dated 23/06/09 of an electric car being charged. Almost 8,000 faults have been reported at car charging points across the country in a single year, new figures show. Between November 2021 and October of this year, 7,977 faults were reported across the network of more than 2,400 charging points for electric vehicles. Issue date: Thursday December 29, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story SCOTLAND Electric. Photo credit should read: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire — Hackney’s plan would give the area the most public electric vehicle chargers in the capital (Picture: PA)

LTNs are already in place in other parts of London, including Stoke Newington, London Fields and Hackney Downs. In these designated areas, only emergency vehicles and bin collection lorries are allowed to pass through.

LTNs are controversial, with critics accusing them of pushing traffic into neighbouring areas but proponents refuting this.

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The residents group Hackney Together said: ‘There is no justification for safer, quieter roads for some at others’ expense’.

Hackney’s environment and transport lead, councillor Mete Coban, stressed that the schemes were being devised with input from local businesses and residents.

2H19J5H Low-traffic neighbourhood area (LTN) in Leyton, London, England United Kingdom UK — Existing LTNs can also expect further investment (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

He said that as well as the new LTNs, the council ‘want to go back to those areas where we have made schemes permanent to make further improvements. That’s looking at the Hackney Downs LTN, London Fields LTN, some of those concerns residents have been raising for us.

‘We promise to be at the forefront of the fight against climate change and creating a greener, healthier Hackney as a result.’

The announcement from Hackney Council comes amidst controversy over traffic policies in the rest of the capital.

In Tower Hamlets, new mayor Lutfur Rahman has dismantled some established traffic reduction measures and plans the removal of more.

Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn has meanwhile been challenged on his planned expansion of the city’s Ultra Low Admission Zone to its suburbs, with many boroughs threatening legal action.

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