Council to remove all trial Streetspace schemes

• The effective withdrawal of the Mayor’s guidance has created confusion for trial schemes and councils across the capital since the High Court ruling 

• Council commits to any future low traffic proposals in Sutton being fully consulted on and only going ahead with resident support 

The Council will this week propose the removal of all its trial low traffic schemes across the borough.

The move comes after the recent High Court ruling against the Mayor of London’s Streetspace schemes. The Council followed the guidance issued by Transport for London, run by the Mayor, when introducing its trial five low traffic areas, thirteen school streets and cycle schemes last autumn.

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

“Since the recent High Court ruling on the Mayor of London’s Streetspace schemes, there has been no clear guidance on what councils should do next. In light of this, I will be recommending to councillors that we remove all the existing trial schemes.

“In future, the Council will do things very differently - the Sutton way - for any area traffic improvements. There will be full consultation of the residents and businesses affected before schemes are launched with support for any ideas or schemes.

”The Council has heard very clearly residents’ concerns about the Mayor of London’s mandated process to bring in experimental schemes.”

The recommendation to remove the trial schemes will be discussed by councillors at a special meeting of the Environment & Sustainable Transport Committee on Thursday 11 February. If agreed, the schemes would cease operating and be removed over the next few weeks in a safe and managed way.

The Council will also commit to any future proposals for low traffic schemes only being introduced after Sutton’s own consultation procedures have been followed and if there is support. The Mayor’s Transport for London required all councils in the capital to introduce their trial schemes as quickly as possible and for residents to be consulted only once the schemes were operating.

The Environment & Sustainable Transport Committee meeting on 28 January had been due to look at amending the existing trial schemes based on resident and councillor feedback. The recent High Court ruling led to the committee decision being deferred until 11 February.