Case law update: R(Hawes) v London Borough of…

This is a Court of Appeal judgment handed down on 22 January 2026, which reversed an earlier High Court decision and has significant implications for low traffic neighbourhoods across London.

The case concerned a decision by the Council to remove a large low traffic neighbourhood (“LTN”) scheme in Bethnal Green, London. The LTN comprised road closures and other measures intended to reduce vehicular traffic and improve walking and cycling access.

The scheme was part of the Council's Local Implementation Plan (LIP) and had been introduced between 2020 and 2022 under a previous administration.

A local campaign group (Save Our Safer Streets) challenged the decision by way of judicial review. The challenge initially failed at the High Court in December 2024, leading the claimant to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

The key statutory provision was section 151(1) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (“GLAA 1999”). This requires London borough councils to "implement" the proposals in their Local Implementation Plan. LIPs are the means by which borough councils implement the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy.

The Council argued that it was entitled to remove the scheme on the basis that, having installed it pursuant to the section 151 duty, that duty did not thereafter require the Council to retain the scheme in perpetuity. The Court held that the duty on a London borough to "implement" the measures in the LIP necessarily includes the "retention" of those measures once installed, and that the Council’s decision to remove the scheme without obtaining the Mayor of London’s approval of a revised LIP was unlawful. The Court made a quashing order.

The Council has indicated that it intends to seek permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Click here to view the Court of Appeal’s judgment.

This blog post was written by James Neill.