Issue - meetings

Councillor Paul Maslin, the Chair of the Panel, welcomed Members and Officers present at the meeting, including Councillor Patrick Codd, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport.

The Chair informed the meeting that he had made a request for the Panel to consider the decision taken by the Mayor and Cabinet on 12 January 2022 relating to “Lewisham and Lee Green Low Traffic Neighbourhoods: Consultation report and next steps”.  The questions and requests made by the Panel in relation to this Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) topic are attached as an annex to these Minutes.

In response to questions from Councillor Octavia Holland, the Cabinet Member informed the Panel that at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, he was often approached by residents about the LTNs when on the streets, and at his doorsteps, and he responded to enquiries accordingly.  It was stated that the Council also received and responded to approximately 150 emails and several telephone calls from residents during the experimental introduction of the LTNs.  The Panel was advised that residents were provided with information about the practicalities of the LTNs, and their views were considered during the implementation, particularly from those living in the affected areas in Lewisham.

The Panel noted that only about 16 emails were received by the Council after the recent proposals were agreed by the Mayor and Cabinet at its meeting on 12 January 2022 and of those, 40% of residents informed that they were supportive, and the remainder 60% asked further questions about the implementation, with fewer notifications against.  The Cabinet Member expressed a view that fewer people seemed to want to take about the LTNs nowadays, apart from residents living in the Lee Green Ward, where implementation remained a concern.  Notwithstanding that, Council would be assessing and responding to recent emails and any other enquiries from residents in relation to the revised scheme.

The Cabinet Member also responded to questions from Councillor John Muldoon, advising that there should be no reason why scrutiny Members should not be privy to the same advice provided by officers to the executive.  The Cabinet Member confirmed to the Panel that the information and advice given in relation to the LTNs had been considered in the published officers’ report in the form of options to inform the proposals upon which the Mayor and Cabinet’s decision on 12 January 2022 as based.

In response to a question from Councillor Luke Sorba, the Director of Public Realm (the Director) advised the Panel that responses to consultation about the LTNs were considerably low because the scheme was introduced very quickly.  It was stated that a breakdown on ethnicity of residents in favour or against the scheme would be circulated to Members in due course.  Notwithstanding that, the Panel should note that it was not an unusual experience for councils across London to receive lower rates of responses to consultations from the local Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community.  The Panel was advised that the Council had acknowledged that more effort  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4