High Court rules Lambeth acted unlawfully over West Dulwich LTN — but Council refuses to back down for now

Lambeth Council has been found to have acted unlawfully in its handling of the West Dulwich Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN), following a landmark High Court judgment that delivers a major blow to the Labour-run authority — and a resounding victory for residents.

In a judgment handed down today, Judge Tim Smith ruled that Lambeth failed to consider key evidence before imposing controversial traffic restrictions through Experimental Traffic Orders (ETOs).

The ruling comes after a legal challenge by the West Dulwich Action Group (WDAG), which represents over 1,000 residents and local businesses.

Crucially, the Judge said Lambeth had ignored a 53-page dossier submitted by residents detailing serious concerns over traffic displacement, rising pollution, road safety, and economic harm to local businesses.

Calling the dossier “impressive” and “highly relevant,” Judge Smith concluded that the Council’s failure to consider it rendered the LTN “unlawful in the Wednesbury sense.”

But despite the legal smackdown, Lambeth has announced the LTN will remain in place — at least for now — as it awaits further directions from the Court.

In a statement, Deputy Council Leader Cllr Rezina Chowdhury said the authority is “carefully considering” the judgment but offered no indication of backing down.

Residents say the legal case could — and should — have been avoided. WDAG had made multiple attempts to engage with the Council during and after the consultation period, all of which were either ignored or brushed aside:

“This should never have ended up in court. Lambeth Council chose to spend public funds fighting the very community it exists to serve, rather than sitting down with us to find a workable, locally supported solution.”

More than £50,000 had to be raised by local people to fund the legal challenge, while Lambeth used taxpayer money to defend its flawed decision-making.

The judgment follows widespread public opposition to the LTN, with over 67% of respondents rejecting the scheme during consultation.

Residents cited increased pollution on boundary roads — many of them already exceeding legal pollution limits — along with a rise in road accidents, longer journeys, and damage to local businesses.

The ruling adds to growing criticism of Lambeth’s Labour Cabinet, which has been accused repeatedly of ignoring community voices in favour of top-down policy-making

WDAG is now calling for genuine collaboration:

“We stand ready to play our role in finding a better solution for the local area—one that actually reduces pollution and balances the needs of all.”

The fate of the unlawful LTN now lies in the hands of the Court, which will decide what should happen to the Experimental Traffic Orders. But one thing is already clear: the community is watching, and the Council has been put on notice.

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