Safety campaigners are taking the mayor of Tower Hamlets to court over the rollback of traffic restrictions

The mayor of Tower Hamlets is facing a judicial review this week over his decision to remove three low-traffic areas (LTNs) in the Bethnal Green area of ​​east London.

Campaign group Save Our Safer Streets (SOSS) says the LTNs are vital to protect children in deprived areas from pollution and the risks of heavy traffic.

The group has almost risen £80,000 via a crowdfunder to pay lawyers to initiate legal proceedings. During a two-day hearing starting Wednesday, a judge will consider whether the mayor, Lutfur Rahman, broke the law when he announced last September that he would remove LTNs in the Bethnal Green area of ​​east London.

Jane Harris, a spokesperson for SOSS, told the Guardian: “We didn’t want to get to the point of taking the council to court. We asked many times to meet and talk to the mayor, but he refused to meet us. This is despite the fact that more than 3,000 people have signed a petition to keep the LTNs.

“The LTNs work. The air quality is better, more people cycle and walk. We have very broad support, from the local hospitals to schools in the area. We are especially grateful to those who put their own hard-earned money into our campaign.”

Lawyers for Leigh Day will argue that the mayor has ignored government guidance on LTNs and has conducted a flawed consultation and decision-making process. They will also claim he failed to properly consider whether removing LTN’s safer streets would be a good use of £2.5 million.

Transport for London has joined the case as an “interested party” and is taking part in the challenge against Tower Hamlets.

A TfL spokesperson said: “Walking and cycling infrastructure, including low-traffic neighborhoods, can play an important role in making our streets safer and enabling more active travel across London. It is important that municipalities follow established processes before modifying or removing this infrastructure.”

Other proponents of LTNs include Barts NHS Health Trust who have written to the mayor outlining the public health risks of removing it. They said: “Tower Hamlets has the lowest car ownership in London, yet those who live, work or study (here) are exposed to the fifth worst air quality of all London boroughs, regularly exceeding WHO safety limits.”

In February last year, five school principals ended up in one of the affected areas wrote an open letter to Rahman asking him to enforce the restrictions.

Rahman was elected as an independent mayor in May 2022 after a five-year ban from running for public office after an election court found him guilty of corrupt and illegal practices.

A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council said: “We remain confident in our legal position and we look forward to the outcome of this week’s hearing.”

Rahman has previously argued that because his plans to remove the LTNs were part of his manifesto, they have a democratic mandate, saying: “These closures have affected thousands of working people in Tower Hamlets. They have pushed enormous amounts of traffic onto (other) roads… and are simply transferring congestion and pollution to the most vulnerable residents.”

Residents have previously told the Guardian that the closures have made their lives more difficult.

Shaheena, a campaigner whose five children attend schools in one of the LTNs, said: “I voted for the mayor but I really hope we can get him to reconsider his plans. Something beautiful has been created in our community, and I am so sad to think it could be taken away. The area has been so much safer and quieter for three years now.

“Going back to heavy traffic would be devastating for us – especially for my youngest, who has special needs. He is not aware of the dangers of cars and has trouble with the noise, so I would have to keep him indoors a lot more. I chat with a lot of older people who come and sit on the chairs along the road network, and when the trucks come back they just go back in.”