A ‘bungled’ email proves a Labour Councillor tried to suppress a TfL report that criticised the Dulwich Village Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN), claim local residents.
Cllr Richard Leeming hit send on an email urging a council officer not to send the ‘Herne Hill Signal Report’ to local people.
Croxted Road residents, many of whom have protested the Dulwich Village LTN, believe Cllr Leeming hadn’t realised his email would be sent to their association.
Cllr Leeming’s email said the report “MUST NOT (sic) be issued to residents in its current form” and that his “substantial concerns… have not been incorporated into a revised version of the report”.
In response Cllr Catherine Rose, Cabinet Member for Parks, Streets and Clean Air, said: “We are working to reduce traffic across Southwark as we know this is a priority for residents. I’m very glad to say we have made real progress in Dulwich, with monitoring data showing an overall reduction in traffic.
“We’ve asked TfL to now produce and publish a full area report for Herne Hill, to provide a complete and accurate picture going forward. This will help us to continue to reduce traffic and create healthier and greener streets.”
An anonymous Croxted Road resident said: “There’s always been an accusation that they have cherry-picked data to prove their point.
“The fact they didn’t want us to have this data before they manipulated, suppressed or got rid of it entirely, shows this ideology. I think he feared the power it gave us.”
The report says the LTN is “the root cause” of congestion on Norwood and Croxted roads, as has long been argued by many residents.
Croxted and Norwood Road congestion caused by LTN says TfL report
It is currently unclear how exactly Cllr Leeming intended to “incorporate” his concerns into a revised report.
The report had been sent in advance of a meeting about signal changes on the Herne Hill junction, which was abruptly cancelled a few days after the email was sent.
In response to questions from the News about the email, TfL has said “it is committed to being open with the findings of our research” but that it is “supportive of the scheme in Dulwich”.
Another Croxted Road resident said: “I don’t think he meant for everyone to be on the email. All of the stuff behind the LTN is built on deceit and inequality. I don’t understand how you can continually push through data which is untrue and falsified.
“There are people who are suffering from the pollution, there are people suffering massively, and they don’t care – all they say is ride a bike.”
Residents on Norwood and Croxted Road have long complained their streets became stacked with traffic since the Dulwich Village LTN was implemented in November 2020.
But a report commissioned by Southwark Council in November 2021 said: “Perceived impacts reported in the consultation such as…increased traffic on boundary roads and longer bus journeys were not evidenced in the monitoring reports.”
But this latest TfL report shows sharp increases in bus journey times on Norwood and Croxted Road soon after the LTN’s arrival.
Clive Rates, Conservative candidate for Dulwich Village in the 2022 local elections, said: “Cllr Leeming owes the community an explanation. Which parts of TfL’s report did he not want his constituents to see, and why?
“This report vindicates Croxted Road residents who have been saying for two years that the Dulwich LTN is the root cause of the increased congestion and pollution outside their doors.
“The time for denial, misdirection and opacity from Southwark Council is over. What the community needs now is a rethink of the entire failed scheme.”
The News did contact Cllr Leeming, but Cllr Catherine Rose, the Cabinet Member for Parks, Streets and Clean Air, responded saying: “We are working to reduce traffic across Southwark as we know this is a priority for residents. I’m very glad to say we have made real progress in Dulwich, with monitoring data showing an overall reduction in traffic.
“The data also tells us that more people are cycling and walking, resulting in fewer car journeys on Croxted Road than before the pandemic. Given this success, there are no plans to remove any of the Dulwich measures, which are fully supported by TfL.
“We will continue to work with residents and TfL to reduce traffic further, supported by analysis of data and continuous review. It is positive to see this TfL report confirm that recent changes to traffic signals have improved bus journey times and traffic flow on Croxted Road.
“We’ve asked TfL to now produce and publish a full area report for Herne Hill, to provide a complete and accurate picture going forward. This will help us to continue to reduce traffic and create healthier and greener streets.”
Sam Monck, TfL’s Head of Healthy Streets Investment and Delivery, said: “We monitor roads across London and are committed to being open with the findings of our research. There is a lot of evidence from across the capital that low traffic neighbourhood schemes have been successful and have played an important role in enabling more walking and cycling. We are supportive of the scheme in Dulwich and continue to work with the council to ensure that any impacts are mitigated.”