A24 changes and abuse: The online opinion battle that is causing a tumultuous divide in the community

The A24 cycle lane upgrades have been a truly polarising and segregating topic in Tooting and surrounding areas.

Back in August, Conservative led Wandsworth Council obtained funding from TFL to implement Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) - the scheme was part of a plan to reduce carbon emissions in London.

The following month the scheme was 'suspended' and there has been no significant signs of it ever returning.

Wandsworth Council claimed that changes made to the A24 road at the same time, led by TFL and Labour's Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, substantially harmed the effectiveness of their LTN scheme.

In a statement by Wandsworth Conservatives, they wrote: "The Mayor's A24 changes are causing traffic chaos across Tooting – causing excessive amounts of pollution."

John Locker, the council's cabinet member for strategic planning and transportation, also said:

"It is clear that the LTNs are not delivering the benefits we want to see. In fact it looks like the combination of changes in areas like Tooting, where TfL are making changes to the main high road, are unfortunately having the opposite effect."

Now, councillors are saying that they are being relentlessly targeted and harassed because of their views on the topic.

Jo Rigby, Labour councillor and Earlsfield resident, has been a strong supporter A24 and LTNs so bed in the A24 and LTN trials, keen to adapt and improve based on feedback.

Jo Rigby told Nub News: "One of the reasons given was the vandalism of the LTNs and abuse aimed at council contractors. I was disappointed that Wandsworth Council never came out and condemned this vandalism and abuse publicly."

"I've been subject to an ongoing online campaign by members of One Wandsworth. I would call for an end to this hostility. We are about to enter a second period of lockdown and we need to unite as a community."

One Wandsworth, a campaign group which is against the introduction of LTN's and A24 changes, has been at the forefront of the discussion.

Some councillors claim that the group's forum is where a lot of the abuse originates.

Lorna Blane, part of One Wandsworth, says that the group does not condone any sort of abuse.

Lorna told Nub News: "Our official stance is that we do not condone or try to entice any hatred towards anyone, including councillors. However, as a group of 4,200 members, occasionally people get overly emotional.

"We do regularly remind members to be courteous and polite and we remove anything we feel doesn't meet with the rules. Unfortunately a few comments get through."

Lorna says that the abuse is not one way and claims that two proLTN councillors have verbally attacked members of the group in the past.

Lorna continued: "This has sadly led some members to retaliate, from their personal accounts - nothing to do with our official group. This went to the police and they were surprised by the evidence of Councillor behaviour.

"I would like to make it very clear that our members are regular members of the community from a diverse range of backgrounds who have come together because they feel that the elected councillors have let them down badly and are not listening to the problems faced by Constituents."

James Daley, a Labour councillor covering the Tooting ward and also a supporter of the LTNs and A24 changes, had his home egged over Halloween weekend.

Speaking to Nub News, James said: "I can't be sure it's about local politics - it did come over the Halloween weekend.

"Having said that, it's never happened before and the timing is certainly coincidental given how high feelings are running on the traffic issues."

James says he has also been the subject of abuse online - even though he claims to have kept an open mind and always represented the views of his constituents.

James said: "I'd never received any personal abuse as a councillor until this year. And some of my colleagues have been on the end of much worse than I have had.

"I think the internet emboldens people to be disrespectful to their elected representatives."

"Throughout the last few months, I've tried to keep an open mind and represent the views of my constituents even when I don't personally agree with them.

"But it still resulted in me being attacked on the One Wandsworth forum and on Twitter.

"I think people who engage in that kind of behaviour undermine the cause they are advocating. No politician is going to represent the views of people who are rude and aggressive."

James is fearful that this discourse will be seen by the general public and deter members of the community pursuing a job in government.

"The sad thing is that this kind of behaviour also puts many people off ever going into politics," James said.

"If people are unhappy with their politicians, they get the chance to replace them every four or five years. But no elected representative deserves to be subjected to personal abuse."

Wandsworth Council has been contacted for a comment.

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