Six low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) schemes in Croydon have been ruled as unlawful by the High Court after a judge ruled they were mainly in place to raise money.
Mr Justice Pepperall quashed the LTNs set up by Croydon Council, leaving the financially-stricken council facing demands to refund all the penalty fines imposed on motorists – a bill likely to run into millions of pounds.
He said: “I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the dominant purpose for making the schemes permanent was the need to safeguard the revenue raised by enforcement.
“Such purpose was unlawful and I therefore quash the orders.”
The judge described the case as a “procedural dog’s breakfast,” adding that he had to “untangle some knotty procedural issues”.
But what exactly is an LTN? What are the pros and cons of having them in place? And where in London are they, and are there plans for more?
What is an LTN and what are the rules?
Cycling and walking are encouraged under LTNs
TfL
To quote Transport for London: “LTNs help to make streets around London easier to walk and cycle on by stopping cars, vans and other vehicles from using quiet roads as shortcuts”.
They are designed to stop places where families live from being used as a shortcut or rat-run for through traffic by blocking the roads off with bollards or flower beds. It is still possible to ride a bicycle through them and walk along the road. The road the LTN is on can be accessed in a car by residents.
London has had LTNs since the 1970s, but a flurry of schemes have been implemented since 2020 as part of the Mayor of London’s plan for 80% of all trips to be by active or sustainable modes by 2041.
TfL can provide funding for the schemes, but it is up to local councils as to where they are placed.
What are the pros and cons of LTNs?
TfL has said that LTNs make London safer, with most streets in the capital not built for the number of cars they now have.
By reducing car access in residential areas the potential for collisions is lessened, while LTNs also encourage more people to walk or cycle and can improve air quality.
Studies have found that low-traffic neighbourhoods can create public health benefits as much as 100 times greater than the cost of the schemes.
A study published in 2024 found that the cumulative public health benefit of people being more active was estimated at as much as £4,800 per local adult over a 20-year period, against a cost per person to build LTNs of about £28-£35, or £112, depending on the type of scheme built.
The research, led by Prof Rachel Aldred of Westminster University, was based on six years of surveys and thousands of people living in three outer London boroughs that introduced LTNs or similar schemes.
The study also found that the positive impacts were more noticeable after a few years of the schemes being introduced, indicating that councils should not determine an LTN’s success or otherwise too early.
Opponents to LTNs have argued that they obstruct emergency services, push traffic on to main roads, and can hold up people who drive for a living such as delivery drivers and vans.
The Times reported that miles driven in Hackney rose by 28.7 million miles, or 11.8%, in 2023, an increase above the London average.
“Any increases in traffic are unlikely to be permanent,” TfL said. “We’re paying close attention to changes in traffic levels and bus journey times in and around LTNs and comparing them with areas where LTNs haven’t been introduced. We may make changes to help traffic adjust, including changing traffic light timings or adding more signage.”
TfL has said it works with emergency services to flag any changes to routes.
Where are there LTNs in London, and are there plans for more?
London boroughs to have large LTNs include Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Hackney, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Newham and Waltham Forest – however, most boroughs have some from of LTN.
Outside the City of London, Hackney has the highest proportion of LTN coverage with 70%, while Bexley has the lowest with 4%.
Hackney has said that it wants to make 75% of its roads subject to LTN regulation, and the borough has implemented 19 LTNs since 2020.
Hackney mayor Phil Glanville said: “This is the most ambitious plan in London, if not the most ambitious in the country, building on an incredible track record in this borough.”
Throughout London, there are discussions either planned or currently ongoing which will see new areas being added and current ones being adapted after consultations with local residents.
TfL will announce LTNs when they get introduced.
What other LTN related controversies have there been in London recently?
This is the latest in a string of controversies involving LTNs in London.
And in January of this year, Tower Hamlets residents won a victory in the Court of Appeal to protect three LTN schemes in and around Bethnal Green, which borough mayor Lutfur Rahman said he would appeal to the Supreme Court.