Would you believe it? At a meeting of the Fox Lane and District Residents’ Association – which straddles three wards – on September 10, at least seven local councillors turned up rather than the usual one or two. Excellent, you might think, and perhaps it was, but in the case of some of them it might just have been because the agenda included a presentation about the council’s new quieter neighbourhoods policy, which arises from the mini-Holland bid. Certainly that’s when some became animated.

For the uninitiated, a ‘quieter neighbourhood’ is a purely residential area bounded by through roads (37 have been identified) where the council has it in mind – subject to consultation – to reduce/prevent rat-running, control traffic speed to 20mph, and otherwise improve air quality and quality of life. Something you’d think every councillor would at least want to consult their constituents about, but apparently not, because Conservative councillors at the meeting promptly announced their opposition, despite the fact the mini-Holland bid had bi-partisan political support. Indeed, for a time they dominated the discussion, so overall we heard little from residents.

The reasons for making the mini-Holland bid are strong; a case can be made on the deaths and illnesses from poor air quality and obesity alone, and both are affected by the quieter neighbourhoods policy. Residents’ voices must be heard.

David Hughes

Palmers Green