THE CLAIM THAT low traffic neighbourhoods adversely affect less-affluent areas in Hackney and other boroughs has been borne out by new research.

Councillors are shown to be among the greatest beneficiaries. They are almost 10 times more likely to live in areas where through traffic has been reduced rather than on boundary roads that have become more congested, suffering more noise and pollution.

The research showed that almost 25% of councillors lived within the areas that benefited from less traffic whereas almost 20% of residents lived within LTNs and about 9% lived in boundary roads.

The introduction of LTNs was hastened by a governmental suspension of restrictions during lockdown. It caused widespread objections by motorists, but support from middle-class residents, many of them living in the streets that benefited from reduced traffic. Residents of boundary roads, however, said that congestion had worsened outside their homes.

Hackney council figures show that Northwold Road linking Stoke Newington and Clapton, and a boundary road of Hackney Downs LTN, has carried 40%-plus more traffic since the scheme LTN started and there is more pollution. No councillors live on the road but Northwold Primary School, which has 450 pupils, is in the street.

Evering Road, near by, has twice as many homes paying maximum council tax. The LTN led to a 79 per cent cut in traffic. 

Backers of LTNs say they help to promote cycling and walking and deter motorists from using cars for short journeys and that most boundary roads can cope better than side streets with traffic.

Clair Battalgino did some of the Hackney research using Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. She does not own a car and travels on foot or by public transport. But when her road, Dalston Lane E8, became, she says, busier than ever, she stood in the May 2022 local elections to oppose LTNs. She did not win a seat on the council.

Told of the latest LTN figures, the campaigner, who has lived in Hackney for decades, said: “The research proves those with power were never going to be the losers. Environmental classism and racism are alive and well in Hackney.”

Hackney council has been asked to comment.

David Altheer 240522

* Backstory: Hackney ups its cars crackdown on cars; Stokey school and the numbers that count

* Research: via FOI requests made by The Times to local authorities that implemented LTNs. The newspaper asked 14 local authorities how many councillors lived within LTNs and almost every one fought to withhold the information. Eleven of the councils ultimately declined to reveal the information for reasons from cost to “personal data” even though no actual addresses were requested.

* Emboldened underscored words in most cases indicate a hyperlink, a reader service rare among websites. If a link does not work, it is probably because the site to which the URL refers has not been maintained.

* Links to articles in The Guardian do not imply any approval of that newspaper’s historic slavery links.