Quieter Neighbourhoods

All of us, to greater or lesser extent, shape the world that children have to grow up in. And, without our realising it, our lifestyle and behaviour might be contributing to the problems that lead to so many children growing up obese, unfit, unhealthy and with poor mental health. Instead of blaming their parents, we should consider whether we are part of the problem.

A public notice published in this week's Enfield Independent gives notice that five experimental traffic orders relating to the Fox Lane Quieter Neighbourhood Area will come into effect on 7th September.

Hal Haines draws a parallel between last week's protests against Enfield's first low-traffic neighbourhood and the situation in the Netherlands 50 years ago, when Amsterdam's streets too were dominated by cars. The Stop the Child Killings campaign that began in 1971 has shaped road design in the Netherlands ever since, making it unthinkable not to design out the possibility of taking a short cut through residential areas. The UK solved the child deaths problem by turning streets into no-go areas for children, but at a cost in terms of health, both physical and mental.

Work to create the Bowes Primary Area low-traffic neighbourhood has begun amid protests from people calling for prior consultation about the scheme, designed to prevent through traffic from using the area while retaining access by car to all addresses. Enfield Council should know next week whether or not funding will be provided for a bus gate in Brownlow Road. Haringey Council has informed residents that it is proposing low-traffic neighbourhoods in Bounds Green and in the Bowes Park area. (This article has been amended to correct information about the demonstration and the aims of the petition.)

Leaflets have this week been dropping through letterboxes in streets which come within the planned Bowes Primary & Surrounding Streets Quieter Neighbourhood Area - ie streets in Bowes ward west of Green Lanes and a few in Southgate Green ward that are south or east of the North Circular Road. They show the council's plans to exclude through traffic from streets in the area - one of several emergency Covid-19 Streetspace schemes in the borough that are being funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) either directly or via Transport for London (TfL).