2021 Healthy Streets Scorecard results

The latest Scorecard results are out, and you can view them here. And watch the video of the event when results were announced, featuring Cllr Shama Tatler, Brent Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration, Property & Planning.

We need to stress here, that for Brent, the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) map or Healthy Neighbourhoods as Brent calls them, is not a true reflection of what is happening on the ground. The schemes on the map below are based on the ambitious plan the Council published rather than the existing and operational schemes.

However, the Scorecard remains a useful tool for campaigners and residents to demand more and for Councillors to aim at better. It is a highly complex process and you can find out more about the indicators here.

“Brent’s streets are healthier than many other Outer London boroughs and it’s great news that the council has taken strong action this year, but there’s still a long way to go and Brent remains at the lower end of the Scorecard table in 19th place out of the 33 London local authorities.

The borough has done well to implement [planned but not implemented as of July 2021] some Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), known locally as Healthy Neighbourhoods. These [would if implemented] cover 15% of streets that are appropriate for a LTN. Though this figure is low when compared to the best Outer London borough Waltham Forest, where 47% of suitable streets are covered, it’s a good start in making walking and cycling much safer and more pleasant. Brent has also introduced a large number of School Streets, where traffic is restricted around schools at arrival and departure times, and now nearly one third (31%) of its schools have a School Street. This action has all been recent and we hope it represents the start of a change of approach from this historically timid council.

It could be relatively easy, for instance, to roll out parking controls and 20mph speed limit coverage to all borough roads (currently at 54% and 45% of the borough’s roads respectively).”

Though casualty rates for cyclists are lower than the London average, pedestrian casualty rates are the fifth highest of all London local authorities. There is very little protected cycle track in Brent and the borough needs to do much if the London Mayor’s target to achieve zero serious or fatal road casualties by 2041 is to be met.

Half of Brent households don’t have a car, a very high proportion for an Outer London borough, so there’s a huge need as well as an opportunity to improve the health of Brent streets by building on the strong action it took in the last year.”

If you want to join our campaign for people’s friendly streets and active travel, do join us and see how other boroughs took action.

You can read last year’s results here.