A legal challenge against the decision to remove a set of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) from a London borough has been struck down, after a High Court judge ruled that the move was lawful.
Campaigners from Save our Safer Streets had argued that Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman broke the law in the way he decided to remove three LTNs in September last year.
But the council’s lawyer accused the group of attempting “an impermissible interference with democratic decision making”.
The decision could have political and legal repercussions across the capital, as it could set a precedent for boroughs who try to peel away from London mayor Sadiq Khan’s over-arching transport strategy.
The three LTNs in question were located in Columbia Road, Arnold Circus, and Old Bethnal Green Road – and all had stayed in place pending the outcome of the legal challenge.
Mr Rahman had promised, in the manifesto on which he was re-elected in 2022, to “reopen our roads, and abolish the failed Liveable Streets scheme, which has seen emergency services and vulnerable residents’ access blocked”.
The Tower Hamlets mayor said he “welcomed” the court’s finding that his decision was lawful.
This is a breaking news story, with more to follow.