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UK government orders a review of low traffic neighbourhoods in England

21 August 2023

The UK government has ordered a review of low traffic neighbourhoods in England as part of the ongoing debate around green policies. The review is in favour of drivers, who ‘use their cars to do all the things that matter to them’.

Low traffic neighbourhood schemes aim to reduce traffic in residential areas by preventing motorists from using these streets as cut throughs.

This comes after it was announced in July 2023 that the government would stop funding new low traffic neighbourhood schemes in England. However, the government continues to support similar projects under names such as ‘traffic management schemes’.

There is some research to suggest that low traffic neighbourhoods, which are set up in large cities such as London, Bristol and Birmingham, reduce localised pollution but contrary arguments say that they push traffic onto other roads, increasing congestion.

It was reported in 2022 that almost 200 of these schemes, designed to boost walking and cycling, had been installed throughout the country since 2020, around 50 of which were later scrapped.

Currently, councils are able to set up new low traffic neighbourhood schemes at their own discretion under the 1984 Road Traffic Regulation Act. This means that new legislation would be required in order for the government to block these schemes.

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