CAMPAIGNERS continued to oppose Warrington Borough Council’s controversial Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme at Latchford with a protest rally in the town centre.
Warrington Residents Opposition to the Central 6 street plan held another peaceful protest rally, this time on the Skittles in Warrington town centre.
Campaign spokesperson Rachael Harper said: “A lot of people in the town centre were certainly interested in what we had to say and some were asking questions about how the scheme affected them. There is a huge problem with apathy in politics and the more people that allow things like this to happen without challenge than the more things like this will become the norm across the who of Warrington. The council hasn’t even taken on board the majority of feedback raised in their own survey, which was all about the surrounding increase in traffic. Instead they’ve turned a side road into a potential hazard as lots of cars try to use that to get round the biggest problem; the planters blocking off through access on Grange Avenue.
“We handed out hundreds of leaflets to inform people about the campaign, what we’re fighting for, what we’ve achieved so far and how people can get involved. A lot of people wanted to know why so many people were standing around the middle of the town centre. We need the council to know that we’re not going anyway until they offer us real engagement combined with effective action for our concerns.
“Now that Andy Carter has brought this to National attention via Westminster, it’s only a matter of time till we see our concerns in Latchford given the consideration they deserve which will hopefully lead to more being done across the country around the practicality of LTNs. There is not a lot of evidence to show they are effective at achieving their targets in terms of reducing traffic or pollution. Most cities and towns across this country have rejected or withdrawn their LTNs because they were ineffective and in some cases caused more chaos. Let our council listen to us when we say; WARRINGTON ALSO REJECTS THE LOW TRAFFIC NEIGHBOURHOOD SCHEME! People shouldn’t have to suffer through this scheme for 18 months until the council finally respects democracy.
Rachael added: “We will shortly be announcing our next event and will look forward with interest to the debate in Parliament on the LTNs. Thank you to all who attended today’s event, we must keep going because there is still an injustice happening in Latchford.”
