Virendra Sharma Hosts Virtual Meeting on LTNs
Over 130 residents living in Elthorne and Northfield Wards take part
Virendra Sharma (top right) holds virtual meeting on LTNs
Virendra Sharma has hosted a virtual public meeting to discuss the issue of Low Traffic Neighbourhood Schemes (LTNs).
The MP for Ealing Southall was joined by more than 130 local residents living in Elthorne and Northfield Wards in Ealing in the area affected by Ealing Council’s traffic measures.
He described the meeting was a listening exercise to hear the personal experiences of residents affected by the LTNs.
Attendees included a full range of local residents of all ages who were invited to tell their personal stories to help paint a fuller picture of the impact of the LTNs.
Residents were of two minds on the impact of the scheme, with some praising the schemes for their environmental impact but the majority critical of the new measures.
Virendra Sharma says this is part of the work heis doing to understand the public opinion of the schemes which have now been in place for several months. He will be making a submission to Ealing Council’s consultation on behalf of his constituents, taking into account the views of all.
He added, “I am incredibly grateful to every attendee here who has given up their Monday evening to participate in local politics. It is a difficult thing to stand up and discuss issues in public, and everyone who does so is an asset to our community. LTNs clearly attract strong feelings on both sides, and I have received more opposition than support for them by email and post, amounting to a roughly 65-35 split.
“I want to reassure everyone that while much of the intent behind LTNs is welcome, clearly the implementation has been mishandled in some places and the impact has been too great in others. I will continue to speak to residents and business owners about them and make a balanced and useful contribution to the consultation. I urge everyone affected to contribute using the Council’s online consultation platform, best accessed through Ealing Council’s website.”
The LTNs were introduced across the London Borough of Ealing earlier this year as part of what the council says is an attempt to safeguard gains in clean air made during the first lockdown. The schemes have been controversial because they have, in places, seriously increased travel time and some residents have complained of massively increased traffic on main arterial routes.
Residents can visit the low traffic neighbourhoods' page of the council’s website for further information on the schemes.
You can email feedback to TrafficNotices@ealing.gov.uk, or post them to the Highways Service, Perceval House, 14-16 Uxbridge Road, W5 2HL, quoting reference ORD XXX.
An online petition against LTNs in Ealing has been signed by over 10,000 people. A counter petition in support of the new schemes has, at the time of writing, over 700 signatures.
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November 5, 2020