ZERO-EMISSION BEECH STREET RETURNING? Permanent City of London scheme enters public consultation

Non-electric taxis could be restricted from City of London’s Beech Street once again as a new scheme goes to public consultation.

The City of London Corporation (CoLC) ran a traffic experiment to improve air quality on Beech Street from March 2020 to September 2021. The experiment restricted polluting traffic from using Beech Street as a “through route” whilst allowing access for zero emission capable vehicles and for any vehicle type that was accessing a property on Beech Street.

CoLC now want your views on making a permanent restriction on Beech Street in a bid to improve the air quality.

The proposed scheme is different to the earlier experiment after receiving feedback from Islington Borough Council.

How will the new scheme work?

• Only zero-emission vehicles will be able to drive through Beech Street without stopping. In most cases a zero-emission capable vehicle is fully electric and not a hybrid. You can check whether your vehicle meets the criteria by using the Gov.uk vehicle enquiry (external link) page

• All other vehicles (including deliveries and visitors) will be able to enter Beech Street if accessing a car park and forecourts

• The junction of Bridgewater Street and Beech Street will be closed to all vehicles except cycles

• Existing central reservation gaps will be retained

• Golden Lane at the junction with Beech Street will remain open to all vehicles coming down Golden Lane and turning left towards Chiswell Street

• Only zero-emission vehicles travelling from the Aldersgate Street end of Beech Street will be able to turn into Golden Lane

• Fortune Street will not have any additional traffic restrictions.

Vehicle movements will be enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).

The consultation will run from 16 January-6 March.