‘Personal car nimbyism remains alive’

• HAVING lived in the Barnsbury area since the 1970s, the same arguments over traffic management schemes or LTNs, low traffic neighbourhoods, have continued all through this time.

It is worth remembering that the first schemes in the 1970s were actually the start, not the end, of a very long process, which continues today, of encouraging LNs, liveable neighbourhoods.

Although the overall arguments against them are still the same, those making them have changed.

Against dire warnings of doom, I was fortunate that my street and some others greatly benefited from these first schemes.

However, even having a car, I have always supported fellow residents having the same environmental benefits I was given.

So it is especially sad to see others who also had these benefits now opposing the same schemes to provide them to others.

I vividly remember in the 1990s one such scheme which had a consultative ballot on its proposals. The results showed that many of those vociferously opposed to it actually lived in streets that, like mine, already had the benefits.

They would not accept restrictions on, for example, using their own cars. But they were very keen to keep out other cars from their own partially-closed streets.

So much for building community spirit.

Now, when they say they live in a peaceful green space, so there is no need to change, I point out this was not magically created.

It is the result of the great efforts of those came before them who now want to see more residents have the very same benefits that they have enjoyed.

So, disappointingly, personal car nimbyism remains alive, but I hope not very well, in some of the more privileged parts of Barnsbury.

CHRIS BULFORD, N1