Thread by @Andrewwood17

Liveable Streets in TH in order to solve one problem, we believe could or will cause problems elsewhere, so @RabinaKhan, @going4golds @th_puru, Cllr Harun Miah & I made 8 recommendations in a Call-In to improve Liveable Streets in TH
It has been rejected on technical grounds
1/

The 1st problem is that by restricting access to certain areas most of that through traffic will simply move to other roads
Bow Cabinet report makes clear some of negative aspects of through traffic in Bow but says nothing about it going elsewhere so we made 2 recommendations
2/

We only have 4 permanent online air quality monitoring stations in TH
2 by roads
2 in parks
airqualityengland.co.uk/local-authorit…
None where people live or work
None inside Bow or next to Bow area impacted by LTN
How will we monitor changes of pollution from introduction of bus gates etc?
3/

In Lewisham, they have fixed air quality monitors outside primary schools
We need these located in areas about to change inside & outside Bow to measure in real-time air quality changes
Note that the LYN app says that air pollutant levels low in TH today & next 2 days
4/

Next recommendation was to implement green walls or suchlike (see link) along those roads like the A11/Mile End which will now get more traffic diverted from Bow
imperial.ac.uk/news/215713/im…
5/

And TH has spent considerable sums of money to test reducing noise from vehicles using metal barriers
Why not trial other types of barriers as we recommend?

https://twitter.com/andrewwood17/status/1330995005691924480?s=21

2/

3rd & 4th recommendations were to do with emergency vehicle access through barriers
Increasingly clear that ambulances especially have issues due to the nature of how they operate (go from call to call not usually from a station like fire brigade)

https://twitter.com/bg75054170/status/1343509480479318017?s=21

3/

But we only know that the emergency services have issues from this FOI request + social media reports
whatdotheyknow.com/request/680442…
So the recommendations asks the Council to make clear what the emergency services actually said, they support LTN but have issues with how roads closed
4/

Recommendation to use lockable gates/barrier rather than fixed blocks but note ambulance service do not like key access either
but NONE of this was in the Cabinet report
How can we scrutinise Cabinet reports if miss key information like this from emergency services?
5/

The next two recommendations again link to impact of diverting traffic from one area Bow to other parts of Tower Hamlets and then not including those areas in the consultation nor doing an Equality Impact Assessment of diverting traffic
So recommendations suggest re-doing
6/

process for the whole area - Bow plus Mile End road etc or just doing an additional consultation + EqIA for the areas to be affected outside Bow
We are not sure TH Council has met its public sector equalities duties by failing to consider nor consult all affected residents
7/

Last 2 recommendations are financial
Clear now from FOI that bus gates generate considerable sums of money from vehicles that still drive through
Blackwall Way Bus Gate since July 2017 has generated £1,139,657
Wapping Bus Gate since December 2019 has generated £1,437,181
8/

These are large sums, more than enough to pay for installation & admin & create a surplus in the future
LTN could be self-funding
But LTN are being paid from s106/CIL funds from places like the Isle of Dogs which have an infrastructure funding deficit
What will happen to this
9/

income from bus gates?
But this fact also left out of the financial section of the Cabinet report, that the very similar Wapping bus gate to the two new ones in Bow has generated considerable sums of money
So two recommendations, that LTN be self-funding by using bus gate £
10/

Cabinet cannot be making informed decisions if relevant information is not provided to it on the views of emergency services or the financial impact of bus gates
Overview and Scrutiny also cannot scrutinise if they are also not provided with relevant information
Pics are of
11/

two different versions of Call-In written at officers request
But all rejected by Councils monitoring officer as do not confirm exactly to the decison's made by Cabinet on the 3rd March, as some made last November
I disagree especially as important facts not presented in any
12/

Cabinet report
I think if somebody had a negative outcome from a delayed ambulance or fire truck due to an LTN they would be able to sue TH Council for hiding the risks of using fixed planters rather than openable gates on road closures
But like with many issues here I hope
13/

never happens
But curious to see what if anything appears in the Councils risk register
Will also complain about issue of relevant information nit being included in Cabinet reports and now blocked from consideration at a Call-In by Overview & Scrutiny C'tee
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