Peter Hartley

• WE are all now agreed that we simply have to reduce the amount of traffic in the West End.

The pollution caused by vehicle emissions is literally killing us and the amount of killed and seriously injured collisions in Westminster is truly horrifying.

One of the worst causes of this nightmare is the rat-running traffic which will not stick to the main traffic routes and brings misery to residents and businesses alike in an attempt to save a few minutes on the journeys.

It is with these views well in mind that we at Living Streets are always sympathetic particularly to residents concerned about displacement of traffic to other streets.

And we can well understand the views of the Soho Society with the possibility of closing Beak Street to through-traffic, (Claims plan to ban cars from back street is bid to create ‘Westfield Soho’, October 25).

This is nothing new and every traffic-limiting proposal that is introduced has faced exactly the same concerns.

Fortunately, with the experience of the huge number of successful schemes that have now been completed all over the UK, it’s a fact that in the vast majority of cases this displaced traffic just disappears.

Motorists either go back to the main routes which they should have stayed on in the first place or simply abandon their car journeys which is exactly what we want them to do.

The benefits of traffic-free streets, particularly in big conurbations like London, are so blindingly obvious that we simply can not go on finding reasons not to introduce them.

Dramatically reduced pollution, a safe environment and, equally important, a calm and noise-reduced atmosphere, allows us all to go about our business in relative peace whether living or working in an area.

I would implore the Soho Society to support all proposals for ridding their wonderful part of our city of the scourge of rat-running traffic. It is probably the one thing that can overnight improve our quality of life with little inconvenience and at minimal cost.

PETER HARTLEY
Chair, Westminster Living Streets