West Dulwich LTN Action Group - needs your support

[Earl Aelfheah]

18 hours ago, Glemham said:

Romeo Jones, one of the last independent businesses in the Village will close on Saturday

Romeo Jones isn't by the junction. It's opposite Gail's which is constantly packed. It's sad that it's closed, but not sure one can blame a 'drop in footfall' caused by the changes to road layout introduced half a decade ago.

A lot of new businesses have opened in the last few years, yes, some of them chains. The trend for chains is very unlikely to be related to reduced footfall though (often chains set up where footfall is highest, something they will research). It's to do with wider consumer trends and as you say, increasing rents / business rates / costs.

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I went into Romeo Jones, but it was not because I couldn't cut through calton avenue to get there by car, saving maybe 2 mins; did many of their customers really arrive by car and in a terrible hurry - parking where?. 

Edited May 23 by Earl Aelfheah

[first mate]

Now come on Earl, you know full well that until people were literally forced out of their cars by the council closing off roads, many were always popping out just a minute down the road to get a latte. This was a regular line used by some on here;)

There used to be quite of lot of parking in DV, actually.

[Kathleen Olander]

D Village is also now permanently closed.  The pop up art gallery is going.  The long promised greengrocer never appeared.

The Post Office is struggling, as well as the dry cleaners. 

[ab29]

On 23/05/2025 at 19:43, Kathleen Olander said:

D Village is also now permanently closed.  The pop up art gallery is going.  The long promised greengrocer never appeared.

The Post Office is struggling, as well as the dry cleaners. 

as long as THEY can cycle - is fine

Edited Saturday at 01:08 by ab29

[Spartacus]

According to an article in the Telegraph this morning, Lambeth had their appeal rejected and according to the article 

"A Labour council has been ordered to immediately scrap an “unlawful” low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) after losing a High Court battle." 

Later the article goes on to say 

"The West Dulwich Action Group (WDAG), which brought the case after claiming the street closures had increased traffic and pollution on roads bordering the zone, welcomed the ruling and called for the council to repay the £1,080,580 in fines raised through the scheme." 

As yet not seen anything to collaborate this article so taking it with a pinch of road salt 

[Rockets]

https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2025/06/west-dulwich-ltn-overturned-by-high-court-with-lambeth-council-denied-permission-to-appeal/

Ouch....Lambeth got a telling off from the judge too......pretty clear now....

 

Deputy High Court Judge Tim Smith firmly rejected Lambeth’s attempt to delay removal of the LTN and to avoid the ETOs from being quashed:

“Revoking the Orders after I have made a finding of unlawfulness leaves the same impression as would an attempt to resign immediately after one has been fired.”

He also refused Lambeth’s request to appeal, confirming there was no realistic prospect of success, and stated in relation to Lambeth’s attempt to avoid paying a full costs award to WDAG:

“The Claimant came to court seeking a quashing of the Orders. It has gone away having achieved that objective. It has therefore been completely successful.”

A spokesperson for the West Dulwich Action Group (WDAG) said:

“This ruling is definitive — the LTN was unlawful. The Council has lost, has been denied permission to appeal, and must now face the consequences of what that means. At the top of that list is the £1 million-plus in fines it issued while the unlawful scheme was in place.”

 

“We now call on Lambeth Council to clarify whether it will refund those fines. This is not just about legality — it’s about fairness and public trust. If the law was broken, the money should be paid back.”

 

“We also urge the Council not to attempt to pursue a second appeal via the Court of Appeal. Doing so would further waste taxpayers’ money and signal that its priority is protecting revenue, not engaging with the community it serves.”

 

“Let’s be clear: this case should never have gone to court. It could have been resolved through proper, respectful dialogue. Instead, Lambeth chose to defend litigation over listening — and the public has paid for it.”

[LordshipPain]

Where are our resident pro-regime astroturfers to tell us all the court's decision was completely what they wanted?

Edited 6 hours ago by LordshipPain

[first mate]

"The Court’s Order follows the Court’s 9 May 2025 Judgment, which found that Lambeth acted unlawfully by failing to consider critical community-submitted evidence before introducing the Experimental Traffic Orders (ETOs) which put the LTN in place."

According to some on here the community-submitted evidence was a load of "bollocks". 

[malumbu]

In deed it was.  Personally not sure why the judge based the decision on draft guidance from the dying days of a failing government.

Lambeth have published the outcome

https://love.lambeth.gov.uk/statement-west-dulwich-street-improvements-ruling/

You can read it yourself

And whilst you are at it details of all the other LTNs in Lambeth, they aren't going away nor are the numerous ones across the country.  A battle has been won by the 'pro-car, anti healthy and sustainable transport,  with no answers to addressing poor air quality and reducing carbon emissions' but not their war.

https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/streets-roads-transport/low-traffic-neighbourhoods 

[first mate]

Sounds like the "as soon as we can do it safely" statement by Lambeth Council in response to the judgement directing removal of the LTN, may be a wheeze to keep it in place for as long as possible? Nobody wants anything to be done unsafely, but I am interested to learn what actioning the removal "safely" actually involves or means? Others may be able to enlighten us?

I had thought that community concerns about this LTN were to do with lack of fairness and inequality, especially about pollution. They felt air quality was being made worse on some roads as a result of the LTN. And round we go.

Edited 5 hours ago by first mate

[Rockets]

Sounds like Lambeth are finally having to be accountable for their (unlawful) actions. What a diabolical waste of tax-payers money and well done for WDAG for keeping up the fight and not giving in.

All of those spouting the "this is all a nonsense judgement based on an admin oversight" must be pretty upset right now - oh how they were happy to come on here to impart their wisdom on how the LTN would not have to be removed....well I guess they might be feeling a little daft right now.

Now I love how the narrative is "well the other LTNs aren't going anywhere" when surely the narrative should be how have we ended up at this point and can we trust our elected officials to do anything right? Maybe instead of cheer-leading the unlawful actions of a local council many should be trying to hold them to account (as many of us are) - for too long there have been way too many blinkered council-apologists who are helping prop up and defend councils who have been engaging in awful, and now in Lambeth's case unlawful, behaviour, often against the very people they are supposed to represent. Turning a blind eye because you agree with what they are doing is not a defence.

Lambeth have helped open a tinder box for other fights against LTNs and I suspect you will read more about successful challenges where there has been unlawfulness.

That statement from Lambeth Council is everything you would expect from a council that has been humiliated by a judge for their downright brazenness....one wonders if they might also be heading for a slap down from the High Court judge in the Brockwell Park case too...they are going to have to learn they aren't above the law nor are the above being accountable to residents. Maybe there might be a vacancy in the leadership of Lambeth council in the not too distant future too.....

No wonder so many are so disillusioned by politics and politicians now. It's this type of wanton abuse of power that is giving rise to the likes of Reform but, a bit like the statement from Lambeth for many politicians sorry seems to be the hardest word.

 

 

 

[pebs]

Marvellous