London Fields Low Traffic Neighbourhood

After considering traffic and air quality data, alongside responses provided by residents to this Commonplace page, the Council has made a decision to make the London Fields LTN permanent. See hackney.gov.uk/london-fields-ltn for the full decision report, including the engagement report which includes the results from this Commonplace page.

We will continue to monitor the effects of the LTN and listen to feedback about the scheme. You can email comments to: streetscene.enquiries@hackney.gov.uk.

We are committed in our Transport Strategy to make Hackney’s roads safer for everyone living, working and visiting the borough. We aim to create an environment that will encourage more walking and cycling, improve air quality and reduce emissions in the borough. For further background to these measures, see the About the project page. To find out more about how we're maintaining access to properties, why we're acting so quickly and more, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

In the London Fields area, we know that levels of non-local through-traffic are at times too high.

We have therefore introduced a type of road closure, known as a traffic filter (planters or bollards on the road, which prevent motor vehicles from passing through), at the following locations (see the attached map):

In addition, following in-depth workshop discussions with local residents in the London Fields/Richmond Road area, where they raised concerns about fast vehicle speeds, non-local traffic, unsafe conditions for walking and cycling and expressed support for strategic closures to limit rat-running traffic, we have implemented the following additional measures, which complement the filters in the A10 area and help to create a low traffic neighbourhood:

To support these measures, a banned ‘right turn’ from Greenwood Road into Graham Road has also been introduced. The existing banned left turn from Mare Street into Richmond Road will remain in the first instance. However, it will be removed once the traffic flow in the area has reduced to an acceptable level as a result of the new measures.

All of the filters mentioned above will encourage walking and cycling, promote social distancing and reduce non-local through-traffic on these streets.

If you are a resident or business in the area and you have a motor vehicle, you are still able to drive to your home or business, but this may be via a different route.

Cyclists, emergency vehicles and refuse vehicles are able to pass through the traffic filters.

The attached drawing also shows proposals for new School Streets in the area. You can have your say on the School Streets here .

We introduced these measures from 7 September 2020, using solid planters on either side of the roads to reduce the carriageway width, but allowing enough space for cyclists and emergency and refuse vehicles to go through. Signs and road markings make it clear that regular vehicles cannot pass through. The filters may be enforced by cameras in order to deter vehicles driving through. Implementation was expected to take up to two weeks.

Like any scheme, we would expect that each scheme takes a couple of weeks to settle in before the full benefits to walking, cycling and traffic are seen.

The filters were being introduced using an experimental traffic order for a maximum period of 18 months, which means you can see how the filters work in practice before having your say.

The views of residents and businesses, including any suggested changes to how schemes operate, will be taken into account before any decision on whether or not to make the measures permanent. This process is in line with specific guidance from Transport for London, and the Department for Transport, whose guidance states that: 'authorities should monitor and evaluate any temporary measures they install, with a view to making them permanent, and embedding a long-term shift to active travel as we move from restart to recovery’.

The initial engagement period on this scheme ran until 21 March 2021, however we are extending this until 1 August 2021 so residents have the opportunity to see how it operates as we emerge from lockdown and to allow as many people as possible to have their say.

To have your say, please complete the survey below or email streetscene.consultations@hackney.gov.uk. You can also write to us by sending your comments to ‘Freepost Streetscene’.

An initial analysis of traffic counts around the London Fields low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) shows early signs of traffic reduction, with traffic down both in the neighbourhood itself and on boundary main roads. Traffic inside London Fields LTN was down by an average of 44%, with traffic on boundary roads around the LTN also down by 21%. We'll continue to monitor and publish data. Read the full report here .