R (on the application of Hawes) (Respondent) v London Borough of Tower Hamlets (Appellant)

Case summary

Case ID

UKSC/2026/0022

Parties

Appellant(s)

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Respondent(s)

Oliver Hawes

Issue

Did the appellant breach s151 Greater London Authority Act 1999 by deciding to remove a Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme which had been included in its approved local implementation plan for the delivery of the Mayor of London’s transport strategy in its area?

Facts

A local implementation plan (“LIP”) is a plan prepared by a London borough council containing its proposals for the implementation of the Mayor of London’s transport strategy in its area. London borough councils are under a statutory duty to create LIPs. Each LIP must include a timetable for implementing the different proposals in the plan, and the date by which the proposals contained in the plan will be implemented. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets (“the appellant”) produced a LIP which was adopted in February 2019 following approval by the Mayor of London. The LIP included a Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme (“the Scheme”). There was a public consultation on the scheme on 28 October 2019 and the Scheme was approved by the former Mayor of Tower Hamlets in Cabinet on 29 January 2020. Between January 2020 and March 2022, the respondent implemented the Scheme in Bethnal Green. The Scheme as implemented included 14 road closures. A new Mayor of Tower Hamlets was elected on 5 May 2022. Removing the Scheme was one of the Mayor’s manifesto commitments. Following a consultation process which took place in two phases in July 2022 and January 2023, on 20 September 2023 the Mayor of Tower Hamlets made a decision to remove the Scheme. The respondent is a resident of Bethnal Green and is part of the ‘Save Our Safer Streets’ group of local residents. The respondent brought a judicial review claim challenging the lawfulness of the appellant’s decision to revoke the Scheme. The High Court dismissed the respondent’s claim for judicial review. However, the Court of Appeal allowed the respondent’s appeal to it, and held that the decision to revoke the scheme was unlawful because it was in breach of s151(1)(a) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. The appellant now appeals to the Supreme Court.

Date of issue

25 February 2026

Case origin

PTA

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