With bitter battles raging in British neighbourhoods about government-designated low traffic zones, a court has just provided a boost for those promoting the schemes.
A legal challenge against a London borough’s emergency transport plan was rejected by a High Court judge, dealing a blow to the social media-fuelled community campaigns against the nationwide initiative.
The Lambeth Low Traffic Neighbourhood was started in May last year. It had the aim of improving street safety after a pandemic-induced drop in public transport use.
LTNs use number-plate technology to deter car drivers from accessing streets that are barred to all but residents. Those breaking the restrictions face fines.
The mix of traffic-calming measures varies but there are more than 100 schemes in London alone, most set up in the last 12 months. Other English cities to have adopted the schemes include Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle.
The introduction of the scheme during the pandemic, when traffic flows were reduced in Lambeth, south London, prompted a group of disgruntled residents to form a protest network called OneLambeth.
They began a legal challenge, calling the LTN “undemocratic, discriminatory, harmful and hazardous”.
The litigation was launched on behalf of Sofia Sheikh, a Lambeth resident with a debilitating lung condition whose access to her nearest hospital was affected by the low traffic zone, the protesters said.
The rejection of Ms Sheikh’s case on all counts was welcomed by Claire Holland, Labour Party leader on Lambeth Council.
“Lambeth has been clear from the start that we had to act swiftly and urgently in the face of the huge challenges that the coronavirus pandemic posed to our borough and in particular the immediate risk of it making existing inequalities on our streets and in our neighbourhoods worse,” she said.
Ms Holland said the council had “from the outset” denied allegations of discrimination or illegality, and she welcomed the judgment for making it clear that “considerations of equality were accounted for at the earliest stage”.
She said the council carried out “regular, detailed, open and transparent monitoring of the programme” and had “already taken on board feedback from local people to make improvements where necessary”.
“We will now redouble our efforts to involve all of our communities in a conversation about how we rebalance our streets so that they are more equal, safer and put people first,” she said.
OneLambeth said it would consider appealing the verdict.
“We are disappointed that Justice Kerr has ruled in favour of Lambeth Council, who employed a QC on taxpayers’ money against a disabled resident and Covid survivor. We are in talks with our legal team regarding an appeal,” a representative for the group said.
Watch: the e-scooters boom
LTNs are not the only government measure to reduce road traffic and encourage people to get active. E-scooter trials have started across the UK to cater for the exponential growth in their use.
Here, The National chronicles their rise in popularity in one borough of south London.
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
