Frequently Asked Questions 

This is the second of two consultations run by Tower Hamlets Council since the May 2022 elections. The council is asking residents and local businesses to choose one of two options.

“Option 1” is a proposal to reintroduce thousands more vehicle journeys per day through neighbourhood streets in Bethnal Green (including Old Bethnal Green Road, Columbia Road, Arnold Circus, Brick Lane and streets connecting them).

“Option 2” is to retain the current street layouts in these areas, which have been proven to reduce through-traffic while making it safer for walking and cycling.

Option 2 is the best option if you want less traffic on local streets and improved air quality, and more areas that are safer and friendlier for all. The other option, Option 1, will cost millions and will mean going back to square one when it comes to traffic, air quality, and safety.

If there are things you’d like to change about the new street layouts, choose Option 2, disagree with all the option 1 proposals, and then add your thoughts and suggestions in the comments.

Choose option 2 to keep our safer streets.

Choose "disagree" to all the option 1 proposals.

The council have suggested some good ideas in the option they are promoting. For example, they’ve said they're considering an “accessible network of streets” which include level crossings, dropped curbs for wheelchair access and planting. However, there’s no reason why these ideas can’t be introduced now. We can have reduced traffic, better air quality and safer streets, and also make our pavements and crossings more accessible.

Again, if you see ideas you like in the proposals, choose option 2, disagree with all option 1 proposals, and then use the comments section to tell the council what you want.

We don't know because the council seem to be presenting the same two choices as the last time. The first consultation showed that the majority of respondents (both within the schemes and more broadly in Tower Hamlets) wanted to keep or improve the new street layouts. However, Tower Hamlets council still want to remove the scheme and have presented partial and misleading information in the consultation materials to get their way.

The consultation begins on Monday 23 January in Weavers and Old Bethnal Green Road areas. All submissions must be made by Sunday 12 February 2023. And in Brick Lane the consultation runs 29 January until 19 February.

Anyone can respond to the consultation.

Responses from people who live or work in the consultation area will be given the most weight, provided they have used the survey reference number which was sent in the post. Check to see if you live in the consultation area here.

Each resident can answer individually, including children. They just need an email address. People who are working in the area can get the survey reference number from their employer, as businesses in the consultation area have also been sent a paper pack.

The consultation documents (with a survey reference number which is unique per household) should be delivered to you by postal mail if you are located in the consultation area. The consultation documents and a form to complete are also online, accessible via this page on the Tower Hamlets council website. Responding online or by hard copy should be treated the same by the council, but if you are in the consultation area, It’s important to use the reference code sent via postal mail on all responses from the same household. This will add weight to the responses.

Make sure you choose Option 2 to keep the current street layouts and reject Option 1 to remove them.

Your unique survey reference number (e.g. W2xxx) should have been sent to you via postal mail, along with the consultation documents if you are located in the consultation area. The number is on the top of first page of the survey.

Your reference number will be on the front page of your paper survey.

If you've not got a consultation pack or you'd just like a survey reference number to completed the online consultation you can request both by emailing: liveablestreets@towerhamlets.gov.uk

The QR code or url below will generate an email you can send to the council. You just need to add your address.

https://i.heartbg.uk/consultation-pack

In the first consultation held last year, more people opted to keep the new street layouts than remove them. If you only look at the most affected people from within the areas, then it was 52% versus 48%, but if you look at all responses, then it was a much bigger majority for “keeping the current layouts”, more like three quarters versus one quarter.

We don’t know how much it will cost to remove the street-calming scheme. However, based on similar projects (and its original installation) it will be in the millions of pounds. We do know that it costs around £70,000 to run consultations like this and while many people are finding it hard because of the cost of living crisis, Tower Hamlets have decided to spend this money not just on one consultation but two. That’s at least £140,000, equivalent to 4 times a nurse’s yearly salary.

The biggest cause of delays to ambulances is road congestion. There is no significant difference in ambulance response times because of the new street layouts. The Royal London and Barts Hospital have said they want the layouts to stay because they know people are healthier with these kinds of streets and they reduce accidents. The ambulance and fire service have asked for some small changes like the removal of hard closures, which could be addressed by the use of ANPR cameras rather than the removal of the closures in their entirety.

Congestion on Hackney Road has been worse since the pandemic. However, it’s wrong to assert as the council does that the Bethnal Green scheme has caused the congestion on Hackney Road. Neighbouring Hackney council has made lots of changes on the North side of Hackney road that have likely contributed to current levels of congestion. Adding thousands more vehicle journeys per day through neighbourhood streets in Bethnal Green will not resolve Hackney Road’s problems. Unfortunately, congestion is also getting worse across Tower Hamlets so the congestion problem is something that needs to be addressed across the borough.

The best solution would be to put in a bus lane. Transport for London (TFL) have said they can only do this if Tower Hamlets council keeps the Bethnal Green street layouts. TFL believe this will offer cyclists an alternative, safer route (see this report of a letter from TFL).

No, there is less anti-social behaviour. The police have asked for the current layouts to stay because of this. Arnold Circus in particular has much less anti-social behaviour and feels much safer and quieter. The millions it would cost to rip out these layouts could be spent on really preventing anti-social behaviour, e.g. with more Safer Neighbourhood Teams, better support for mental health problems and social care.

Many disabled and older people tell us they feel safer with these layouts in place as there is less traffic. If there are problems for some, we could solve them with changes to crossings and camera installations. Tower Hamlets council has proposed changes like this as part of removing the street-calming scheme. However, we don’t need to spend millions ripping out the whole scheme to improve on what we have.

The Mayor’s manifesto made one pledge about the street layouts. He also made three promises in his manifesto to listen to residents and involve us all in decision-making. Most residents said last year they want to keep these schemes - Lutfur Rahman needs to show now he really is a listening Mayor [[link to tweet?]]. We don’t know if he will listen but he legally has to consult people properly before making a final decision.

The new street layouts are benefiting everyone, providing cleaner air, safer streets and places to meet and talk with neighbours. The benefits for people from diverse backgrounds and who fall low in deprivation measures are an important part of the case for the new layouts. Census results show that Old Bethnal Green Road has some of the most deprived social housing estates in Tower Hamlets. Children at the four schools on this road are also overwhelmingly from nearby parts of Bethnal Green and are benefiting from cleaner air, less noise and safer streets to get to and from school. Most poorer people don’t own cars because it’s so expensive. Only ⅓ of households have access to a car in the borough.

The current layouts let everyone use cars when they need to. It also gives people safe, quiet routes to walk and cycle. This keeps the roads less congested and the air healthier. If there are specific problems, we need to persuade the council to solve these. The answer is solutions like cameras, controlled access roads and resident permits, not spending millions ripping out what is good.