Agenda item

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience.  To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport, and Deputy Leader of the Council.

Interim review of feedback received through application process and report on consultation/ discussion with affected groups, in particular LTN disability including group, a dedicated group set up to discuss exemption procedure. Recommendation on decision for any changes proposed.

Appendices are attached in a separate pack.

Clerks note: Councillor das Neves and Councillor Williams left the meeting at the start of this item.

The Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport, and Deputy Leader of the Council, introduced the report which set out feedback on the interim review carried out of the available exemptions and related process for the three trial Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in the Borough (Bounds Green, Bruce Grove West Green, and St Ann’s).  The report set out various changes to the exemptions process.

Councillor Brabazon commented that the LTN inclusion group had been a really positive exercise, and membership had covered a range of organisations and representative groups.

In response to questions from Councillor da Costa, the following was noted:

-               The Council were very committed to ensuring that residents were fully engaged with, particularly those with health conditions and disabilities.  A survey had been carried out with carers, and workshops held with Disability Action Haringey.  As the scheme progressed, further engagement was carried out with other groups via the LTN inclusion group.  It was important that no additional obstacles were added to the lives of people already facing obstacles in terms of mobility around the borough.

-               One of the main additions to the exemptions process was to ensure that all Blue Badge holders would have access to all LTNs in the borough. 

-               At the current time, it was felt that the proposed additions to the process would have a bigger impact then the allow exemptions for taxis.

RESOLVED to

1.            Note the summary of feedback received in respect of the Council’s existing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods Exemption Criteria and Applications Process.

2.            Agree that, in addition to exemptions already contained within the Council’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods Exemption Criteria and Applications Process, that supplementary exemptions will be applied to the three trial LTNs (Bounds Green, Bruce Grove West Green and St Ann’s) as follows:

a)    Allow all Blue Badge holders with a valid Blue Badge and whose main address is within the Borough of Haringey to register one motor vehicle for exemption from the three trial LTNs (but only traffic filters which have the Except Permit Holder sign).

b)    Allow SEND transport organised by the Council to be exempt from diagonal traffic filters in the three trial LTNs.

c)    With permission of the Council, authorised by the Assistant Director for Direct Services, allow any vehicle to be exempt from specified camera enforced traffic filters in the three LTNs.

3.            Authorises the Head of Highways and Parking to make the necessary experimental traffic orders to give effect to the recommendations.

4.            Note that any representations made during the statutory objection period associated with the experimental traffic orders referred to in recommendation 3 will be presented to Cabinet, alongside a final monitoring report, when a decision will be sought on whether to make the provisions of the experimental traffic orders permanent.

Reasons for decision

As part of the interim review of the three trial LTNs that the Council has implemented, a review has been carried out on the available exemptions and related processes.

Having regard to feedback from stakeholder, and to advance equalities as far as possible, additional exemptions are proposed for the benefit of Blue Badge holders residing in Haringey and for the benefit of SEND pupils using transport.

An additional exemption to allow any vehicle to be exempt with permission of the Council will provide the council with flexibility to grant exemptions in exceptional circumstances.

The LTN exemptions have not yet been assessed (and could not have been assessed) with the changes now being proposed and that the ETOs as now proposed would be a genuine and novel experiment.