People walk and cycle on Benwell Road

THE architect behind the borough’s seven low ­traffic neighbourhood’s (LTNs) has welcomed a report by the government which found they were successful.

The report, commissioned by prime minister Rishi Sunak and leaked to the Guardian, found the road closures and traffic-calming changes were generally popular and effective.

Speaking about the long-delayed review by the Department for Transport, Labour councillor Rowena Champion, who has fronted the policies in the face of protests at the Town Hall steps, said what the government had found was mirrored here in the borough. She said: “There are lots of people who like them, people talk to us about quieter streets, their ability to move around cycling, etcetera. But for some people it remains, they don’t like it.”

The report stated twice as many local people supported LTNs as opposed them, but that people wrongly thought boundary roads were busier. Boundary roads are the routes upon which all traffic is directed following the closure of side roads. Residential streets were closed to encourage active travel and improve air quality,

“There are tensions between evidence and perceptions,” the government’s findings said.

Critics argue LTNs have not reduced cars on streets, but simply pushed them to the boundary roads, causing longer journeys and traffic jams, which lead to increased pollution. But the report said: “There appears to be limited evidence of adverse impacts on boundary roads, but residents are more likely than not to think that schemes have added traffic congestion and queues to these nearby roads.”

The report was gathered from looking at four areas across England. This did not include Islington, although the council made contributions to the report. The council said traffic has mostly reduced on boundary roads, although Cllr Champion acknowledged there was an ongoing problem with Blackstock Road in Finsbury Park.

The environment chief, who said she suffered verbal abuse over the policy, said: “I feel immensely privileged that I’m in this position at a time when, not only can we do things, but we absolutely have to do things, and I think for me, if we don’t do what we’re doing, in 10 years’ time, the impact on people in Islington is going to be huge, because we know what’s coming. We’ve already had 40-degree summers, we’ve already seen intense rainfall.”

But she also said LTNs – rebranded as “liveable neighbourhoods” to represent greater public consultation – were a way of reshaping the streets and encouraging active travel. At a time politicians have been in the news for being threatened over their views, Cllr Champion admitted she had switched off from social media as a way of coping.

Mildmay’s liveable neighbourhood (LN) is currently under review while the Cally Road’s LN consultation finishes on Sunday.

Later this year the council will launch a consultation into the Barnsbury and Laycock and Bunhill areas.