England’s low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) cost taxpayers £23.4m, with the number of schemes rising by 18% in the last two years, research by Regency Living has found.
Research found that the UK public is split in their views on LTNs.
Due to the pandemic in 2020/21, many LTNs appeared, particularly in London, where 56 of the 90 in the UK are located.
Other regions like the East of England (12%), North West (8%), and Yorkshire & Humber (7%) also adopted LTNs.
The average cost to implement an LTN is £259,996.
London has the highest average, at £264,048, leading to a total of £14.8m spent in the capital.
The West Midlands incurred costs of £2.1m, Yorkshire & Humber £1.8m, and North West £1.4m.
Regency Living surveyed the public, finding that 49% are in favour of LTNs, while 51% oppose them.
When asked about introducing more LTNs, 49% responded positively, and 48% indicated they would be more inclined to move to an LTN area.
Tim Simmons, sales & marketing director at Regency Living, said: “LTNs have once again been making the headlines, attracting strong opposition from those in surrounding areas, who feel they are suffering from a greater degree of congestion and pollution due to these pedestrianised areas funnelling traffic through other roads.
“Despite this, it seems as though a large proportion of the UK public are in favour of LTNs and would like to see more introduced, even going as far as to say they would be more likely to move to an area if it was an LTN.
Simmons added “This could well cause property prices in LTNs to climb due to the fact that, as they remain in their relative infancy, there’s a very limited level of stock available.
“The appeal of living in an LTN comes from the very same reasons that they are currently being opposed, as they offer safer streets for pedestrians to live on, whilst also offering a reduced level of pollution due to the lack of traffic.
He said: “It’s this exact improvement to quality of life that makes our residential park home complexes appealing to downsizers, as they not only value the increased safety and air quality, but also the peace and quiet of living away from a main road.
“You could say that residential park home sites are the original LTNs, but unlike those currently being implemented, they don’t come at the expense of those living in the surrounding areas.”
