RESOURCES AND RESEARCH



The Highbury West and Highbury Fields LTNs were introduced last year as part of Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ "green transport revolution" (Image: Richard Baker/ Getty)


Islington council has been forced to apologise after publishing a report erroneously claiming low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) saw a reduction in harmful car exhaust fumes.

The council released a report which stated in the key findings that levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) had "decreased at all sites" of LTNs. However, the same interim monitoring report later revealed that pollution had in fact increased by 26 per cent across Highbury, prompting residents to lodge a formal complaint against the authority, the Telegraph reports.

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Residents in the north London borough reported feeling “misled” by the document, which also showed NO2 levels had soared by 44 per cent outside Highbury Grove School where traffic became an issue following the introduction of LTNs.



The Highbury West and Highbury Fields LTNs came into effect in January 2021 as part of Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ "green transport revolution.”

The report, which sparked fury amongst residents, was published in October last year after the council commissioned Project Centre to document pollution levels in the area. The findings were included in tweets, which have since been deleted, as well as a council leaflet sent to 14,500 households.

Residents subsequently formed a group to lodge a formal complaint about the inconsistent report. Joanna Sargent, a spokesperson for the Keep Highbury Moving group which exposed the mistakes, told the Telegraph: "The council was quick to tweet and produce a pamphlet featuring the interim report’s key findings, some of which struck us as dubious.

"We felt some of the summary findings gave a twisted impression to Highbury residents of what the collected data actually showed. The council has now admitted some of the errors - including the frankly laughable claim of a 42 per cent reduction in traffic on Holloway Road, the main road into London from the north."


Following the backlash, the council commissioned an independent audit of the 2021 report last month and admitted to the errors saying: “The audit identified some errors in the report, including a more robust way that the changes in traffic volume data could have been analysed. We would like to apologise for any confusion this has caused.”


A council spokesman said the council terminated the contract with Project Centre in October "due to concerns about the general quality of work and capacity allocated to the project” but maintained that LTNs were “achieving most of their intended aims."