Labour-led council blasted for spending over £500k on planning LTNs while SEVEN libraries close

A Freedom of Information Request revealed since 2023, when the LTN was first proposed, £153,700 was spent on project management, £109,450 was used to pay for the design of the concept, and a further £107,850 spent on the detailed development, reports The Telegraph.

On top of this, £40,310 was spent on communications and engagement, which included hiring a private company to hold drop-in events about the LTN for residents and businesses, as well as traffic analysis by an "independent survey company."

As part of the development, £51,270 was spent on ANPR assets.

This includes cameras to catch motorists from outside the area who stray into the LTN, where they can be catalogued and fined.

Overall the total for the LTN comes to £576,229.

That includes £417,751 funding from Transport for London (TfL) local implementation plans and £158,478 from the Community Infrastructure Lobby.

The findings were slammed by Enfield’s Shadow Cabinet Member for the Environment, who said the money would have been better spent saving libraries the council has recently closed.

Councillor for the Winchmore Hill ward Maria Alexandrou told The Telegraph: "The staggering amount of money wasted on the Edmonton Green proposed LTN project is a disgrace.

"The council is tone deaf to the needs of Enfield residents.

"They are haemorrhaging money on unwanted projects that most people do not want, while closing seven libraries that offer a wealth of services, such as free access to digital technology, education, books and Wi-Fi."

Edmonton and Winchmore Hill Conservative Association set up a petition demanding the LTN to be scrapped, with more than 1,600 people signing.

The petition claims: "The Enfield Labour-run council will have to borrow £1.6million of taxpayers’ money to fund the planned LTN in Edmonton Green and the expanded LTN in Bowes."

It also suggests there would be "road closures, one-way systems and reduced parking" which would culminate in "increased pollution, congestion and journey times."

Enfield Council has conducted two phases of public engagement and a statutory consultation about the LTN since 2023.

Meanwhile, back in July, the council confirmed it would close seven of its libraries permanently.

John Jackson, Bullsmoor, Southgate, Winchmore Hill, Enfield Highway, Bowes and Enfield Island Village libraries all shut their doors for the final time in the summer.

The council claimed the closures are expected to save the council up to £560,000 per year in staffing and operating costs, plus £4.5million in maintenance costs over a 10-year period.

The potential sales of each library building could also generate between £3million and £3.85million.

An Enfield council spokesman told The Telegraph the proposal would create "safer and healthier streets", adding "the project is funded through TfL, meaning no cost falls on Enfield council’s local council taxpayers.

"The monies from TfL could not be spent on other council projects. They are ring-fenced for projects such as this one.

"Investment to date covers the full process required to create a safe, evidence-based and legally compliant scheme.

"This includes traffic surveys, design development, safety checks and audits, community engagement and monitoring as well as other legal steps.

"These are important and essential steps to ensure that any change meets local needs and achieves improvements in air quality, safety and accessibility."

The spokesman said that Edmonton Green was a priority area for an LTN due to poor air quality, road danger, having two schools and lower levels of walking and cycling, but confirmed the council would “carefully consider all feedback” before a decision was made about whether to proceed with the LTN.