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Perry starts back-pedalling over borough’s low traffic schemes

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Less than six months into what was supposed to be a properly monitored 18-month trial of traffic-reducing measures, the council has announced a series of ‘drop-in sessions’ for residents to air their views on CHNs.
By PAUL LUSHION, environment correspondent

Signs of the times: the Dalmally Road CHN, where access is restricted to only permitted vehicles

Jason Perry, Croydon’s pro-pollution, anti-cycling Tory Mayor, could be preparing to roll back the borough’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, schemes which have been introduced since 2020 as a response to covid to encourage walking and cycling, and to reduce rat-running by speeding cars through residential streets.

Pandering to the road haulage and motoring lobby during last year’s election campaign, Tory Perry said, “These LTN schemes have increased levels of traffic and congestion, increased journey times, increased pollution, impacted on business and fined residents for driving on their own roads… These schemes are having a huge detrimental impact on our communities.”

But Perry stopped short of getting the schemes uprooted on Day One of his Mayoralty, citing the £10million to £15million per year forecast in revenue for the cash-strapped council from fines from motorists for driving without permits through the LTNs or school streets.

That income remains an important consideration for the Mayor, but an announcement yesterday of a set of public consultation sessions over the re-branded CHNs – Croydon Healthy Neighbourhood schemes – is suspected by some to be a clear sign that Perry is considering pulling at least some of the schemes currently in place.

If Perry and the council does do a U-turn over safer streets, they risk losing millions of pounds in funding from Transport for London and the Department for Transport. The DfT is understood to be preparing to launch a new fund worth hundreds of millions of pounds next week for councils to introduce more walker- and cyclist-friendly measures.

Small businessman: Jason Perry

But such forward-thinking and environmentally-sound measures tend not to appeal to small businessman Perry.

In a recent round of new school streets announcements, one scheme which failed to win approval was on Melville Avenue, even though it is home to three separate schools.

It also happens to be a road parallel to Castlemaine Avenue, where Mayor Perry himself owns a £1million house.

Cycle lane schemes along the busy Brighton Road in South Croydon – Perry’s old stomping ground when he was merely a councillor – have been delayed or only part-delivered, after political pressure from the Tories claimed that the cycle lanes might hamper the interests of local businesses (seriously; we don’t make this shit up).

And, of course, Perry has joined the chorus of Conservative politicians across London in opportunistically opposing the Tory government-approved extension of London’s ULEZ, the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Now Perry appears ready to have the council do a spot of back-pedalling on LTNs/CHNs.

“I have been clear from the start that we have to listen to residents when it comes to these schemes,” he said yesterday as the council announced public reviews of seven “trial” CHNs.

The trials are supposed to run for 18 months. They were introduced less than six months ago. Of course, if the trial schemes are being properly monitored over the full period, as the council claims they are, then at the end of it all, the facts should speak for themselves.

A council press release yesterday said, “In August, the council made improvements to the original schemes put in place during the pandemic, to open many of the roads to residents living within the schemes, as well as those needing to make essential journeys, such as emergency services.

“These improved schemes are running under a trial order for 18 months, where they are currently collecting monitoring data.

“The drop-in engagement sessions are a key part of the trial process to understand whether they are achieving their intended goals and gather feedback from locals on how they could be improved.”

Open roads: the original LTN schemes, often using planters, caused fury for many drivers

But an environmental campaigner suspicious of the motives behind the council’s latest moves told Inside Croydon, “Maybe what the Mayor’s doing is finding a way to back down from his previous hostility towards the schemes?

“Removing the LTNs would remove a revenue stream, which the council can ill afford. If Mayor Perry chooses to do that anyway, to score a few cheap political points, the deed would be long forgotten by the time of the next election.”

Each drop-in session last from 5pm to 8pm. In addition, “street audit” walking tours, guided by council officials, will take place following the sessions to provide more context and point out areas for feedback.

The council says, “Those who are unable to attend in person are welcome to submit their feedback via the council website, where they can also learn more about the schemes.” The feedback page can be found by clicking here.

Further information on the CHNs and the drop-in sessions can also be found here.

Read more: Ignore ULEZ scare stories – it will reduce traffic and save lives
Read more: Part-time Perry is fiddling over ULEZ while Croydon burns


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