By Linus Rees
Westminster City Council have confirmed they will allow lorries and roadworks to take place at night during the 2012 Olympics after Mayor Boris Johnson announced plans to allow late night working. It is feared that other local authorities could follow Westminster’s lead.
However, councillors representing Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia have launched a campaign to stop the Mayor of London allowing lorry deliveries in the small hours of the morning and roadworks at the weekends and at night-time.
Concerned that the plans will disturb the sleep of residents, Labour councillor Adam Harrison, who lives in Fitzrovia, said the plans “financially incentivises utility companies such as the National Grid to dig up our roads and pavements at the times when residents deserve a bit of peace and quiet after their week at work.
“Recent [late night] works in and around Warren Street and Conway Street already show how disturbing this can be.”
The Mayor of London wants to allow night-time deliveries and works during the 2012 Olympics, but has not ruled out allowing them to become permanent.
Cllr Milena Nuti, who also lives locally, said “Protecting the quality of life for Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia residents is one of the main aims of our local team of councillors. That is why we have launched this campaign to give local people a voice and make City Hall think twice about its plans.”
To sign the petition to prevent the powers coming into force, residents can visit http://bit.ly/BloomsburyNoise or see the councillors at their regular street stalls on the second Saturday of the month on Marchmont Street and the fourth Saturday of the month on Goodge Street through the months of May, June and July.
Good luck with the campaign. Such erosion of the quality of life of the majority for the convenience and profit of the few should be resisted.