Labour councillors in Thurlow Park have been forced back to the drawing board on road improvements intended to make Lambeth’s cyclists safer. The Council brought forward a proposal to close Rosendale Road without any attempt to consult local businesses and residents. In an email sent to residents, Labour councillors claimed they were only informed in the last week of August that Rosendale Road would be closed.

The error means that Conservative London Mayor Boris Johnson’s ‘Quietways’ scheme will now be delayed. The scheme, which creates a network of low-traffic cycle routes, was announced by the Mayor after a significant number of fatal road accidents involving cyclists last year. However, Lambeth Council is responsible for implementing the scheme at a local level.

Local Conservative activist Irene Kimm said, “This episode is typical of Lambeth’s disregard for the views of local residents. If the Council had bothered consulting, a scheme could have been found that suited the needs of all road-users, and these much needed improvements to cycling infrastructure would not have been delayed.”