Conservatives pledge to oppose LTNs in Haringey

The Conservatives in Haringey are pledging to oppose low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), crack down on fly-tipping and reduce crime.

The Tories do not currently hold any Haringey Council seats but are planning to field candidates in every ward in the borough for the local elections on 5th May.

Local candidate James Barton said the Conservatives would invest more in knife-crime prevention programmes, youth centres and police numbers. They would also install more CCTV cameras to catch fly-tippers and introduce free bulky waste collections.

James rejected claims that central government funding cuts had forced the council to close youth centres. Citing the controversy over Alexandra House, an office block that was bought by the authority in 2020 for more than double its market value, he claimed the council “could have cut back on waste and served the youth of the community”.

This year, the Labour-run council has set out plans to introduce LTNs in Bounds Green, St Anns and Bruce Grove. But James said the Tories would remove any existing LTNs and “oppose their implementation anywhere in Haringey”.

Designed to stop rat-running, boost walking and cycling and improve air quality, LTNs use bollards, planters and cameras to close streets to through traffic. Similar schemes already rolled out in Enfield have faced significant opposition from some residents, who claim they have increased congestion and pollution on surrounding roads.

James said: “Where I am standing in Bruce Castle ward, people are very strongly against [the LTN], and I have come across similar sentiments across Tottenham.

“I know they are in the early stages of implementation here, but everyone is very familiar with what has happened in Enfield, what a disaster they have been, and I think they are incredibly unpopular.”

LTNs are a key part of the council’s plan to make the borough carbon-neutral by 2041. James said the local Conservatives were “very environmentally conscious” but thought LTNs were the wrong way to go about tackling climate change, although he did support more ‘school streets’ and 20mph zones.

Since 2018, the council has been delivering on Labour manifesto pledges to build 1,000 new council homes and offer 100% council tax relief for the least well-off residents. James said the Conservatives would “certainly want to invest in council housing and affordable housing” but would not commit to targets he claimed were “politically imposed for radical left-wing reasons”.

Addressing the so-called ‘partygate’ scandal over allegations of rule-breaking gatherings at Downing Street during the Covid-19 lockdowns, James said the prime minister still had the support of local Conservatives.

“We still back Boris, and I feel that with the events happening in the world at the moment, with Ukraine and generally the cost of living, I think it is more of a media furore and Twitter issue than a major issue.

“It hasn’t come up on the doorstep once since we have been canvassing. It has been more about local issues.”