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Not a good coujple of weeks for those who are hell bent on stopping people going about their daily business:- (1) From The UK LTN Résistance on Twitter:-@ioisours6hHEADLINE NEWS *not covered by MSM Better Streets for Kensington LOSE their Judicial Review against @RBKCin trying to re-instate a ridiculous #LCC #cyclelane no one wanted They also tried to game the initial consultation. (2) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/25/businesses-inside-london-ltn-scheme-say-cycle-lobby-group-did/?fbclid=IwAR0AGCbSfYagdJtVjQPDVhWwtpp-wyoLiJb2GVdgbiEMct93bp35m9MGy_oCycling lobby group was paid £200k to consult on ‘stupid’ LTNsGroup was given funds to consult on two LTNs including Bounds Green, a controversial green scheme in north LondonBy Ewan Somerville 25 February 2023 • 3:07pmHaringey LTNCllr Mike Hakata, the deputy leader of Haringey Council, said it had engaged extensively with the local community before introducing the LTNs Credit: Eddie Mulholland for The TelegraphA cycling lobby group was paid £200,000 for a low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) consultation that did not speak to businesses, it has been claimed.Labour-run Haringey Council commissioned Sustrans, a cycling charity that runs the National Cycling Network, to carry out traffic modelling, door-knocking, surveys, designs and analysis.The group was paid £200,000 to consult on two LTNs including Bounds Green, a controversial green scheme in north London introduced in August that has turned a historic independent high street into a ghost town, as The Telegraph reported. Sustrans also ran the consultation for the Bruce Grove LTN in the borough.Local motorists forced to take long detours thanks to the Bounds Green LTN previously told The Telegraph the scheme is “absolutely stupid”.But a survey of 40 shops on Myddleton Road, a middle-class high street of bakeries, cafes and bistros that are suffering thanks to the Bounds Green LTN, found that none of them said they had visits from Sustrans.AdvertisementMark Marcou, owner of My Dental Care practice on the road, who ran the survey, said: “None of the shops had visits from Sustrans. No one has listened. What were Sustrans paid £200,000 for?“Sustrans is a cycling lobby group, so why on Earth would you get them to do your ‘impartial’ surveys? It’s just disgusting. Judging by the comments on the website, quite a few members of the local cycling community engaged.”Tara Hawkins moved her vintage furniture shop, My Little Home Emporium, to a different locationTara Hawkins moved her vintage furniture shop, My Little Home Emporium, to a different location Credit: Eddie Mulholland for The TelegraphTara Hawkins, who felt forced to move her vintage furniture shop, My Little Home Emporium, to a different street after the LTN ruined trade, said: “Nobody in our high street was visited by Sustrans. No one contacted us.“They could have even visited us as the representatives of the Myddleton Road Traders’ Association, which I was co-chair of. I’m fuming about it – it’s good work if you can get it.”Freedom of information documents seen by The Telegraph show that Haringey Council has spent more than £960,000 on its three LTN schemes. Almost 58,000 fines had been issued to motorists in Haringey’s LTN zones as of Nov 28, meaning the council collected at least £3.7 million.Three-quarters of traders on Myddleton Road are thinking of leaving in the next 18 months, and three have already shut up shop, thanks to the “stupid” scheme, the survey found.It also showed that 92.5 per cent of shops on the street said they received no questionnaire prior to the introduction of the LTN, and 95 per cent said they received no visit from the council’s project team.Cycling lobby groups are frequently involved in LTNs as they extol the virtues of removing cars from roads and prioritising walkers and cyclists, but it is rare for them to be paid.LTN culture wars have erupted across London and other cities as motorists argue they make air pollution worse rather than bringing cleaner air.Cllr Mike Hakata, the deputy leader of Haringey Council, said: “We are launching a business survey soon, and I’d strongly encourage the Myddleton Road traders to take the opportunity to have their say again.“We engaged extensively with the local community before introducing the LTNs, including traders on Myddleton Road, and we continue to seek their views on how their local environment can be improved.”Sustrans did not respond to requests for comment.

Claire Moran ● 379d