Letter: City traffic plan angers borough
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Christian Wolmar, in his article 'A bombshell for London drivers' (22 June), is accurate in saying Tower Hamlets will put up strong resistance to the City's traffic exclusion plan.
We are enthusiastically in favour of traffic calming to improve the environment and make streets fit for people to walk and live in. Tower Hamlets and its neighbourhoods have an excellent record on that score when we are allowed the chance. We would warmly welcome any prospect of a traffic plan for London based on improved public transport, which is co-ordinated city-wide, preferably by a strategic authority.
What we object to is the arrogant way the City of London is trying to bulldoze its plan through and push traffic on to neighbouring boroughs instead. Tower Hamlets is sick of being treated as a wasteland on which roads and traffic that no one else wants can be dumped, for example the Blackwall Bridge proposal, which local people fiercely oppose. Just because we are a poor borough doesn't mean we lack spunk, and we will put up a fight for a decent environment.
Michael Cassidy, in your phrase 'the City's top politician' said at last Friday's CBI/Evening Standard conference on London that it was a good thing London has no strategic London-wide authority. Your article said he wants a voice for London as a whole. I'm afraid this 'Fortress City and hang the rest' traffic plan is a good illustration of why the City of London is badly placed to aspire to leadership of London's residents. By all means let us put people before traffic, but not the City before the rest.
Yours sincerely,
GWYNETH DEAKINS
Chair
Policy Strategy Committee
Tower Hamlets
London, E2
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments