The case timeline we have used to collate our evidence base has now moved following a rebranding of Together Legal. The timeline still exists and all existing case members can still log in and contribute evidence on the Problem Shared website here. Full link: https://problem-shared.com/cases/991623710

Together Legal is now producing real-time traffic and particulate matter (PM2.5 & PM10) measurements to understand how frequently the borough exceeds WHO limits. You can view the data here.

We are collating our evidence base using Together Legal        https://together-legal.org/cases/991623710 . We are looking to collate as much information as possible and would invite anyone to join the Together Legal group and contribute.

After battling Hackney Council through the courts since December & following our successful appeal, our case is due to be heard over 2 days from Wednesday 30th June.

We are challenging the Council’s decision to close 32 borough roads in 2020 effectively to create gated Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in specially selected area. 

Without exception, all vehicles must now travel longer on fewer roads increasing congestion and pollution, above all on our main residential roads where most people walk or cycle. Many of our schools and nurseries are on these roads and there are serious concerns about the danger to the health of our children and young people.

Although the Council had been planning these traffic displacement measures since long before the Covid pandemic, it failed to properly consider these negative impacts when its Experimental Traffic Orders were rushed through. 

The Council failed to consider all our roads and failed to tackle the problems where they are worst – like places where traffic air pollution is double national standards. Rather than inclusive traffic management where all roads are considered, areas with the highest levels of pollution have been sacrificed with the creation of LTN in certain areas. This has resulted in environmental and social injustice with children, disabled people, the elderly and our BAME communities being most disadvantaged.

We believe that the wider community strongly supports our action – we have over 850 members of our company, over 7,300 Facebook followers, and a petition with over 16,000 signatures calling for the Council to reverse its scheme and conduct proper consultation, which would include a detailed impact assessment. Our members have guaranteed to meet the Council’s costs if we lose our claim, so the public purse will not lose out. But we’re here to win!

The Court of Appeal has ruled that our grounds are arguable, and we believe that we have strong legal grounds for our challenge. We have now reached the most expensive stage of our case and we need your help more than ever to meet our target. Help us save Hackney’s most vulnerable residents from the Council’s horrendous road closure scheme.

Please continue to support us.

Our solicitors, with input from specialist barristers, have now issued an application in the High Court for permission to proceed to a judicial review of Hackney’s road closure and LTN schemes. We need to stop the road closures and get the barriers removed until there is proper public consultation on the best approach to manage traffic in our borough. Other boroughs have removed their restrictions and are now consulting the public. We believe that we have good legal grounds for our challenge, but we need to raise some serious money to help us fight and win it. We have already raised over £5,000 to start the case but to see it through we will need to raise over £30,000. Help us save Hackney’s residents from the Council’s horrendous road closure schemes.