Keith Prince AM: Council must learn from this episode

Redbridge's Labour Council has finally listened to residents and scrapped their deeply flawed Quiet Streets schemes. It's vital they learn their lesson from this disastrous episode and ensure they never introduce such drastic anti-car measures without consulting residents again.

The abandoned Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes in Barkingside South and Cranbrook West were supposed to improve life for residents, but instead, it created misery. These schemes caused congestion, endangered pedestrians and cyclists, and stopped the emergency services from quickly navigating to people in crisis. Fundamentally, if Redbridge's Labour Council had paused, consulted residents and truly listened to their concerns, these schemes would not have been introduced.

It should have been obvious to the Labour Council that literally blocking roads with planters with little notice or consultation would not have ended well. No one wants to wake up and see a roadblock on their street. From the very beginning, it was doomed.

Sadly, Redbridge's Council is not alone in doing this. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Labour councils across the capital are ploughing ahead with disruptive anti-car measures with no consultation. They should take note from Redbridge Council's embarrassing U-turn and start listening to local people before introducing more chaotic road schemes.

I was pleased to support local residents by voicing their concerns in City Hall, applying pressure for the scheme to be removed. I congratulate the residents who tirelessly campaigned to get their Labour councillors to face facts and realise the scheme is hugely disruptive to people's lives.

Article by Keith Prince AM first published in the Ilford Recorder.