Our council is rushing to take out the new street layouts in Bethnal Green, Brick Lane and Wapping. It has already removed a traffic filter in Bow without any consultation. These schemes were designed to reduce non-local traffic, make streets safer, and make it easier to get around by foot, bike and on public transport. They were also designed to improve the look and feel of local neighbourhoods and increase the green spaces we as residents can use. Although these changes are still fairly new, many residents have found they have made the streets safer, healthier and friendlier.

1. We petition the council to STOP plans to scrap the new street layouts so there is time to reach a justified decision.

The approach the council is taking is rushed and wasteful. For example, the Antill Road filter was only in place for three months, which wasn’t enough time for any data to be captured. The new street designs in Bethnal Green alone cost £2m and removing them will take valuable funds away from urgent priorities like education and housing. The council hasn’t shown that removal is a good use of public money, or that the scheme hasn’t worked - it’s too early to say that.

— Stopping plans to scrap the new layouts will mean there is enough time for a proper and fully informed debate about the proposals.

2. We ask the council to LISTEN to residents, businesses, schools and service providers across our diverse community to understand the benefits of the new street layouts, as well as any issues. A thorough debate at the 5 October full council meeting will be a good start, so that all our elected representatives can share their views.

The Aspire manifesto promises genuinely collaborative, informed and inclusive consultations. But in the four areas affected by the council’s proposals, there was either no consultation (Antill Road in Bow), or short consultations which limited residents to two options: “keep” or “remove”. In contrast, the Wapping bus gate was installed in 2019 after a lengthy engagement process with the community dating back to 2017. We ask the council to stand by its commitment to listen to everyone in Tower Hamlets and deliver truly creative, accessible consultations without prejudging the outcomes, so the whole community can be heard.

— By listening to Tower Hamlets residents, the council would learn about what’s working well in the current designs, as well as what could be improved. It seems very extreme to scrap the whole thing when there are so many positives.

3. We want to find ways to IMPROVE, not hastily remove the new street layouts.

Improvement means building on what we have, not going backwards. We can alter the street layouts without sacrificing the progress that has been made: this has already happened in some places to allow better access for emergency services. We believe in our community and the council’s ability to be creative and come up with more ideas, be that relocating some closures, using camera-enforced restrictions and collaborating with Transport for London or developing other measures.

Where residents want to retain measures, for example the residents in and around Antill Road who expressed their disappointment at the removal of their traffic filter at full council on the 27th July, the council should work with them to find solutions that address their needs and concerns.

We all want to address long-standing issues in the borough like bad health, air quality and congestion - but abolishing these schemes won’t solve them. We would also lose precious benefits. Growing numbers of families, older and disabled people have been sharing their stories of huge improvements to their health, safety, community and quality of life thanks to the schemes.

— If the council slows down, works with the people and looks again at its approach, we believe it will find cheaper and better ways to improve the new street layouts, and address the concerns of Tower Hamlets residents. This will benefit everyone’s health, wellbeing and safety in line with Lutfur Rahman’s promise to be a Mayor who serves everyone.

This Petition ran from 08/08/2022 to 25/09/2022 and has now finished.

3094 people signed this Petition.