Sutton reviews Streetspace schemes as Mayor loses landmark court case

But, a High Court judgement against the Mayor of London last week, means that the decisions will now be taken at a separate meeting on Thursday 11 February. The Mayor, through TFL, provided the funding for many of the schemes.

Councillor Manuel Abellan, Deputy Leader of Sutton Council and Chair of the Environment & Sustainable Transport committee, said:

“Our Streetspace schemes were designed to make the environment in Sutton better for everyone by reducing traffic on residential roads, encouraging walking and cycling and helping us to avoid a “car led recovery” from COVID. We focused on areas with historical problems related to high traffic volumes and speeding. Residents had been asking us to address this for many years. 

“In Sutton, we have always prided ourselves on our consultation and engagement with the community. The Mayor and the government required us to move at pace to introduce these schemes, consulting after the measures were in place.  

“The recent judgement implies that we were misdirected by the Mayor and should have taken longer to consult. But that does not mean we can jump to conclusions. I have therefore asked to move this item to an extraordinary meeting where we can take the decisions with proper advice reflecting on what we have learned.”