Has this week’s High Court non-event been just the latest example of Perry’s porkie pies – where the ‘listening’ Mayor cocks a deaf ‘un to residents? Political Editor WALTER CRONXITE looks back at what the Tory Mayor was saying four years ago
While frustrated by their lawyers’ failure to submit the right documents in the right bundles, all neatly tied up in pink ribbon and delivered to the right defendant, today the question arises whether the shadowy “residents’ group” bringing the High Court case against Croydon Council really did have as strong a case as they thought they did.
The case brought by “Open Our Roads” claimed that Croydon’s Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes, introduced from 2020 and since made permanent under Tory Mayor Jason Perry, are an unlawful cash-cow, taxing motorists who fail to follow road signs.
Had the case been heard and Croydon Council lost, Mayor Jason Perry faced the prospect of losing more than £10million a year in income from traffic fines.
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were introduced initially as a response to covid, to encourage walking and cycling and to reduce rat-running by speeding cars through residential streets.
OOR claimed that the council had misused their powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 in respect of revenue generation.
They claimed that revenue-generation was a “motivation” for installing the LTNs – there’s no evidence to prove that was ever the case, although it has certainly become a compelling reason for keeping them, a nuance perhaps lost on the petitioners.
They also claimed that Mayor Perry had broken election promises to have the LTNs in South Norwood and Upper Norwood removed.
Yet while Croydon’s third-rate, part-time Mayor may, since he was elected, have made some compromising comments to public meetings about how much money has been generated for the cash-strapped council, there was nothing in Perry’s 2022 election manifesto that commits him to removing LTNs.
Cockin’ a deaf ‘un: since issuing his manifesto in 2021, Tory Jason Perry appears to have developed a bad case of selective hearing loss. Or not…
What he said on that subject was this: “Over the last eight years of Labour running Croydon Council a consistent theme has been that residents feel they are not being listened to. From planning to LTNs and Council Tax to housing repairs the feedback has been that Labour have simply implemented what they wanted without actually taking any notice of what we were all saying.
“This needs to change… to ensure your voices are heard in the future.”
Perry promised “real consultations”.
“The council is required by law to consult on many things they do or changes they wish to make. Many of Labour’s ‘consultations’ have been little more than a sham,” Perry was saying in 2021.
“When consulting on the introduction of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, 75% of residents responded opposing them. With such overwhelming numbers, you’d expect Labour to have listened – well you’d be wrong. They simply went ahead with the policy anyway!” Two years later, Perry simply went ahead and made six of the seven LTNs permanent anyway.
“There is no point in consulting if you are not prepared to listen to what residents are saying,” said Perry back then.
“I pledge to only hold meaningful consultations with clear criteria for what impact your feedback can have.”
Cash cow: the council soon became dependent on the money generated from its LTNs
He also said this: “I am also pleased to commit to implementing most – if not all – of the 23 Climate Recommendations detailed in the Climate Crisis Commission Report.” Guess what..?
“As part of my own ‘Listening To Croydon’ pledge, I will ensure that the community is brought with us as we implement these initiatives.
“We all saw the result of the council’s implementation of the Parsons Mead LTN, which led to huge protests as their community felt completely ignored. Acting without listening is not a sustainable way to create change.
“Any environmental schemes introduced by me, if I am Mayor of Croydon, will have evidence-based social and environmental benefits for residents and businesses, whilst not disproportionately impacting the poorest in our borough.”
OOR say that their lawyers are considering grounds for appeal.
Read more: High Court judge dismisses LTN case brought against council
Read more: Mayor Perry on trial: LTN admission could cost council millions
Read more: #TheLabourFiles: Source of hacked data worked for Evans
Read more: The next battle in the culture wars? Traffic bollards
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Just paid £80.00 for the Holmesdale Road sign, not even a justified council raking it in
Perry’s manifesto commitments to acting on the Climate Crisis Commission Report were never sincere. He probably didn’t even know what he was signing himself up to.
We’re all enduring a heatwave right now. A temperature of 32.2C was recorded in Kew and at Heathrow yesterday, the hottest day of the year – so far. Tomorrow might be even hotter.
The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) has just issued an amber warning saying “significant impacts” are expected from the soaring temperatures in the coming days “including a rise in deaths”.
With this drought it can’t be long before we have our first “wild fire” of 2025, or “arson”, as it should be called. In Kent last weekend a month’s worth of rain fell in a few hours, causing widespread flooding and damage.
And what’s this weekend’s news from our tone-deaf short-sleeved shirker?
“This week, I met with Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick, to share our Growth Plan and get an update on the Northern Runway Project. The airport is already providing opportunities for Croydon’s young people – from school visits to graduate and apprenticeship programmes – and the growth of the airport promises to create more jobs and boost our local economy”.
That Growth Plan includes a foreword from the Mayor with the words “Croydon is South London’s economic powerhouse”.
Perry hasn’t got a clue or a care
It doesn’t look good for Perry. He will be kicked out next election. We are probably going to get a Reform mayor as voters are sick to death of the incompetence of both main parties. This conveniently misses that Reform in their UKIP guise caused the biggest financial meltdown of all with the Brexit mistake
God help us all