‘Low traffic’ schemes attract new controversy
EALING’S COUNCIL BOSSES ARE ACCUSED OF FAILING TO CONSULT WITH LOCAL AMBULANCE SERVICE
CALLS have been made for Ealing’s borough bosses to resign after being accused of failing to consult with London Ambulance Service before the controversial Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes were imposed in the borough.
Council leader Julian Bell and transport chief Mik Sabiers were forced to apologise after it came to light the London Ambulance Service was not involved in talks at the same time as the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade over the logistics of the council’s road shake-up.
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods – traffic-calming schemes where temporary road blocks and diversions are being actively trialled for six months across different hotspots in the borough – have started going live since July and August.
The controversial schemes had faced a backlash from residents accusing councillors of creating chaos on the borough’s roads, and concerns were flagged over emergency services being unable to reach people in need because of the blocked off roads.
Northfields Tory councillor David Millican said the Labour councillors should “hang their heads in shame” over the “incompetence”, and cited how residents in his ward had shared concerns with him over delays of ambulances reaching their homes since the road changes have been implemented.
He said speaking to ambulance staff based at Hanwell station that when the schemes started “they knew nothing about it”.
But he added: “Several people have contacted me concerned about it, fortunately they were fine, they got taken to hospital, nobody died as a result of it.”
The council previously assured residents that all the emergency services had been consulted on the plans, and that they had received no objections from LAS, the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade.
But on Friday, September 25, cllr Bell and cllr Sabiers admitted a “mistake” that the ambulance service had not been included in the initial talks.
It is not clear how long the delay was in consulting the ambulance service compared to the talks with the other agencies.
In a joint statement they said: “Ealing Council works closely with all the emergency services in our borough and the safety of residents is always the council’s first priority.
“There has been ongoing engagement with all services regarding the implementation of low traffic neighbourhoods. We have used feedback from these discussions with colleagues in the emergency services to adapt and improve plans as quickly as possible.
“Regrettably, the London Ambulance Service was not consulted at the same time as the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade.
“Although delayed, feedback from the London Ambulance Service on all of Ealing’s low traffic neighbourhood schemes including those for two schemes (Loveday Road, LTN 30 and West Ealing North, LTN20 ) due for implementation by the end of September has now been given and taken on board. We are reviewing our procedures to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
The councillors added that no formal objections have been made by emergency services over Ealing’s LTNs but that certain road changes have been redesigned based on their feedback.
This included the installation of some Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to enforce the changes instead of physical bollards, and using standard London Fire Brigade keys to unlock bollards.
They added: “We deeply regret this mistake and the council has apologised to the London Ambulance Service. The London Ambulance Service has acknowledged that since this issue came to light the constructive way in which we have engaged with them and taken on board their recommendations could serve as an approach to follow.”
But opposition Tory leader Councillor Greg Stafford said: “The LTNs were introduced without any consultation with residents, but Ealing Labour Council have long shown scant regard for residents’ views. But to fail in their legal obligation to consult with the London Ambulance Service on the implementation of LTNs is beyond disgraceful; there are serious repercussions when dealing with life and death situations where time is of the essence and to totally disregard this, is gross negligence.
“The recent removal of some bollards and their replacement with ANPR cameras is a tacit admission that the scheme hindered the proper progress of emergency vehicles and therefore endangered the lives of local residents.
“The council leader Cllr Julian Bell, who has been so instrumental in forcing these rushed measures through, and his transport spokesman Cllr Mik Sabiers must resign.”
Lib Dem opposition leader Gary Malcolm also said the revelation was “truly shocking.” He added: “Ealing Council should have consulted residents and important keyworker groups like the ambulance service before making these radical changes to how people get around the borough.”
Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq has been pressing the council for answers over the LTN scheme, having written a letter on September 10 concerned that its introduction in the borough was “poorly thought through and rushed into place without prior consultation”.
She said: “It is extremely unfortunate that London Ambulance Service was not consulted prior to the implementation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods across the borough. In the wrong circumstances, this mistake could have been fatal. I call upon my colleagues at the council to fully investigate this, so that lessons can be learned.”
She added: “Like all other borough residents, I want to know: what the timeline is for the LTNs, the evidence and criteria the council will be using in making their decision, whether impact and risk assessments were carried out, why the council has invested in expensive ANPR cameras before the consultation period has finished, and so on.
“LTNs are, in theory, not a bad idea, but as I said in my letter, I fear that the implementation of the LTN scheme here has been rushed and poorly thought through. The failure to notify the ambulance service only seems to confirm this.”
Ealing Council leader’s office has declined to comment. It is understood that LAS welcomes the recent changes to Ealing’s LTN schemes and is working constructively over the reforms.
A spokesperson for London Ambulance Service said: “As the busiest ambulance service in the country, our focus is on achieving the best outcomes for ill and injured patients and ensuring we reach them in response times set by the government.
“Changes to road layouts, traffic management schemes, and road closures all have the potential to impede our response to the most critically ill people and could delay life-saving treatments or conveyance to the nearest emergency department.
“This is why we continue to work with Transport for London (TfL) and local authorities, including Ealing, to ensure emergency vehicle access is properly considered, and the impact of any changes monitored.”