Pilot scheme to stop Brighton neighbourhood being used as cut through

Neighbours in Hanover are asking for measures to restrict traffic, possibly with the use of planters as has been used in Viaduct Road, to stop people using it as a cut through.

Last night, they put their case to Brighton and Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, which agreed to a pilot scheme using some of the Government money intended to reshape the city’s roads.

In a deputation on Tuesday 23 June, during a virtual”meeting on Skype, Leah Good said people in Hanover had used the crowdsourcing website WidenMyPath, to ask for measures to reduce traffic.

During lockdown, the area has enjoyed the reduced level of traffic in an area where narrow pavements make social distancing more of a challenge.

The environmental community group Hanover Action asked for a pilot scheme rolled out in the area, which was agreed by councillors.

Ms Good said: “Some streets in the area, including mine, already have minimal traffic, and people in other streets want the same quality of life, improved social interactions, support of local retail, and ease of active travel enabled by a liveable neighbourhood.

“Hanover Action is well placed to support the roll-out of a pilot liveable or low traffic neighbourhood scheme in the area.

“We are committed to supporting council officers in many practical ways to bring this about.

“We are able to represent the residents and articulate local issues, and we are well set up to engage with further residents, to bring the community with us to lay the groundwork for such a pilot.”

The pilot will be based on low traffic neighbourhoods, which have been introduced in other areas of the country including Waltham Forest’s Mini Holland scheme.

Committee chair, Labour councillor Anne Pissaridou said low traffic neighbourhoods are an interesting development.

She said a review of potential low-traffic neighbourhoods would also take place in the future for other parts of the city.

Green spokesman councillor Pete West put forward Hanover low traffic neighbourhood as one of the group’s amendments to the Interim Covid-19 Response Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).

Using money from the government’s emergency travel fund to support walking and cycling meant the pilot project could go ahead before September.

He said: “We have an opportunity to take this forward now.

“If we have a successful pilot, this will inform the LCWIP later.”

Conservative spokesman councillor Lee Wares backed Councillor West.

He said: “We have residents have clearly spoken together and decided how they would like their neighbourhood to be.

“Why can’t we agree now to support this experiment to take place. There are areas across all our wards that might benefit from this.”

Councillors agreed to ask for a specific report into how the low traffic neighbourhood is working and how it could be extended to other neighbourhoods to come before the committee in the autumn.