Tower Hamlets Council has been prevented from following through on a promise to remove LTNs after a recent Court of Appeal judgement, reports James Cracknell

The low-traffic neighbourhood in Fox Lane and (inset) Conservative group leader Alessandro Georgiou — The Fox Lane low-traffic neighbourhood and (inset) Conservative group leader Alessandro Georgiou

Questions have been raised over the feasibility of a Conservative election pledge to remove two low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Enfield – after another London council was defeated in court.

The Tories have vowed to “rip out” LTNs in Palmers Green and Bowes Park first installed by Enfield Council in 2020, making the promise a key part of their upcoming 2026 election manifesto ahead of the local poll on 7^th May.

But last month the Court of Appeal ruled it would be unlawful for Tower Hamlets Council – led by the Aspire Party – to remove three LTNs installed by the borough’s former Labour administration.

LTNs restrict vehicles from using residential areas as cut-throughs or ‘rat runs’, with the aim of making streets safer and reducing air pollution. However, such restrictions often create longer journeys for drivers living inside them and can worsen traffic on roads outside LTN boundaries.

Tower Hamlets Council’s decision to remove its own LTNs was challenged by a local campaign group, with the court eventually ruling against the town hall – citing a “failure to reconsult” among its reasons for the decision.

Since this ruling, both Enfield Labour and campaign group Better Streets for Enfield have claimed it would also now be “unlawful” for a potential future Conservative administration to go ahead with removing the two LTNs funded by Transport for London (TfL).

Asked for his thoughts on the recent Court of Appeal ruling, Tory group leader Alessandro Georgiou said: “It remains our Enfield Conservative policy and intention to rip out every single Labour LTN within the London borough of Enfield using all legal means necessary.

“If we win we will have a democratic mandate to do this.

“The problem, having read the judgement with the Tower Hamlets case, is that they did not run a good enough consultation. We will avoid that mistake.”

However, Better Streets for Enfield argues that the Court of Appeal ruling essentially blocks the Conservatives from removing the Fox Lane and Bowes Park LTNs without permission from Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan.

A spokesperson for the group said: “The Tower Hamlets ruling has significant implications, not least because it cannot be appealed.

“The judge made clear that any council leader proposing to remove schemes such as low-traffic neighbourhoods cannot do so unless they have the backing of Transport for London and the mayor [Khan]. It was their funding which enabled them to be implemented.

“There is also an interesting legal question about whether switching off enforcement cameras counts as ‘removing a scheme’, given they are an integral part of making them work.

“The mayoral elections are not until 2028 so no changes could be made until that point, and even then it would depend on the mayor agreeing to take them out.”

As well as the two existing LTNs in Palmers Green and Bowes Park, Enfield Council has recently been consulting on introducing a new ‘quieter neighbourhood’ in Edmonton Green, prompting hundreds of people to sign a petition against it.

An Enfield Labour spokesperson said: “The Enfield Conservatives are making big promises because it’s an election year, but they know they won’t be able to keep them.

“One of their main promises is to scrap LTNs on day one by switching off the cameras. However, the LTNs in Enfield were paid for with money from Transport for London, and a recent legal ruling makes clear that simply turning off the cameras would be unlawful.

“In other words, this promise can’t legally be done.”

Separately, the Dispatch has obtained data via the Freedom of Information Act on the amount of money raised by the council through issuing penalty charge notices (PCNs) to drivers breaching LTN restrictions. In the 2025/26 financial year, it amounted to around £328,000.

While this is significantly less than the £2.4m raised in the first year of the two LTN schemes, it is still money that a potential incoming Conservative administration would need to replace – or make cuts.

Asked where the money would come from, Cllr Georgiou said the Tories would ultimately spend less money on transport schemes.

“The fines from Labour’s LTNs go into other stupid schemes and as we won’t be wasting taxpayer money on those we won’t need the fines,” the Conservative group leader insisted.

He added: “With regard to a timeline, we will set to work immediately if we win [the election], setting up the consultations to remove Labour’s LTNs.

“I detest Labour’s LTNs and I will do everything in my power to remove them.”

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