Lambeth council, already forced to scrap a Low Traffic Neighbourhood that was deemed illegal, is being taken to court for approving a £1 million cycle lane that campaigners claim will increase congestion and pollution.
The council will doubtless experience a sense of deja vu in that the lawsuit is being brought by West Dulwich Action Group, the organisation that brought down the LTNs last year.
Legal papers filed at the High Court accuse Lambeth Council of ‘erring in law’ over the 420 metre Brockwell Park to Gipsy Hill route, which crosses the busy South Circular Road. The West Dulwich Action Group says the authority considered only benefits to cyclists while ignoring harm to the wider community.
The 26-page skeleton argument claims the scheme will increase air pollution on Rosendale Road through slower-moving and heavier traffic, damaging the health of pedestrians and residents. It alleges that elements of the council’s decision-making ‘suggest a closed mind’ or ‘a logical gap or error of reasoning”’ that undermines the lane’s legality.
A spokesman for the action group said: ‘We support cycleways but the simple truth is that this current design is simply unsafe. This bi-directional cycle lane is being implemented in a small area with a high density of cross-over points – largely driveways – which actually creates a new set of dangers.’
The group says the council’s own consultation found widespread opposition, with residents raising concerns about traffic displacement, congestion, safety, parking, business impacts and equality. One resident complained that as a cyclist of 20 years, he saw ‘significant disadvantages’ to the scheme.
Lambeth Council said it was disappointed by the challenge and that the infrastructure aims to reduce road danger in West Dulwich. A spokesman added: “’We are considering the claim and will provide updates.’
Photo: Fast Markers
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