London Fire Brigade FOIs
Here you’ll find links to correspondence between the London Fire Brigade (LFB) and the Royal Borough of Greenwich regarding delays attributed to low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), cycle lanes, and other road infrastructure. These documents, obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, offer insights into how local traffic measures impact emergency response times.
West Greenwich Neighbourhood Management scheme
8 July 2020
The Royal Borough of Greenwich informed all emergency services for the first time of its plan to implement 'modal filters' (LTNs) across West Greenwich and Lee Green, requesting feedback within less than two days.
The LFB raised concerns about the proposed use of modal filters, pointing out that physical barriers could cause delays in emergency response times. They also requested more time to properly assess the council's plans.
West & East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management scheme
16 October 2023
The Royal Borough of Greenwich notified all emergency services for the first time of its intention to implement 'designs' (LTNs) as part of the new West & East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management project, requesting feedback within a seven-day period.
The council's email, viewable at the bottom of the linked document, is noteworthy as it marked the first time emergency services were informed of the scheme. This raises concerns, particularly as the first stage of consultation had begun in February and the final stage had already closed, prompting questions about the council's engagement process with emergency services.
The council acknowledged in its correspondence that emergency vehicles would need to make detours due to the proposed scheme.
On 24 October 2023, the LFB responded, stating it 'completely agreed' with the London Ambulance Service (LAS), emphasising that 'hard-stops of any nature have a detrimental impact on appliance attendance times.'
The council plans to implement the West & East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management scheme on 27 November 2024.