Council officers were offered a day of 'well -being leave' to recover from a public meeting after indignant the locals expressed concern about plans for an LTN.
Lambeth Council held a decrease in event in West Norwood Library in April 2023 and informed residents about the plans.
The local population was furious about the proposals and announced their opinion during the meeting.
Now a group of local anti-LTN campaigners have brought the council to the Supreme Court to explain the proposals illegally.
The LTN was introduced to West Dulwich about six months ago.
The lawyer for the Lambeth Council, Heather Sargeant, wrote that the meeting took advantage of councilors in 2023 and forced the Council staff to take a lunch break to 'get away' from the hostility of angry residents.
She wrote: “The experience of officers who attended the event for the council (on a Saturday) was so negative that the then head of the transport strategy and programs offered them a day of welfare leave.”
The opponents of the LTN have criticized the council for a lack of public consultation and have claimed that this makes the proposal illegal.
West Dulwich Service Station LTD has brought the legal case against the council on behalf of the West Dulwich Action Group, who claims to represent around 1,000 inhabitants who oppose the LTN.
A road closing function as part of an LTN from Southwark Council that prevents motorists from gaining access to the intersection of Carlton Avenue and Dulwich Village
Anti-LTN campaigners from West Dulwich outside the High Court in London
Charles Streeton, who represents the LTN opponents, told the Supreme Court that the staff of the Council of the Drop-in Library event had a 'horrible time' in the meeting that eventually lasted six hours, De Standaard reported.
He told the court that his clients were not offensive, but admitted that there were some whose behavior bounds to offensive.
However, he said that the strong opposition against the plans was representative of a large part of the community.
He claimed that the council did not listen to the views of residents and tried 'bulldoze by' with the introduction of the LTN.
Mr. Streeton said the court that the way in which the library event was organized was 'Shamolic', because people who arrived at lunch could not participate while council officials took a break to escape the hostitilty.
This ensured that people wrote their worries about a piece of paper instead of being well recognized, he said.
Mrs. Sargeant argued that the difficulties at the library event were not caused by the council.
She said the court that the council consultation of the council received 1,300 answers and argued that the claim should be rejected.
She said that the council did not accept that the consultation was unfair for residents.
Lambeth Council introduced the low traffic area in West Dulwich last year
As previously reported, legal documents mentioned various' shortcomings' by the council, while collecting residents' views on the LTN in West Dulwich, which are claimed to have proven 'in the law'.
Judicial documents, seen by the Telegraph, showed how the consultation of the Lambeth Council found that 67.5 percent of the local population asked 'either unhappy or very unhappy' with the LTN plan.
The entry said: 'The outcome of the consultation resulted in changes in the scheme not in the principle of an LTN', contrary to 63.5 percent that they were 'very unhappy' with the idea.
Despite this feedback and the government, it is impossible to take place that schemes should not take place if there is a widespread opposition, Lambeth decided to push through the plan, the entry claimed.
It also said that the consultation of the Lambeth Council with its residents was unfair and irrational, partly because some councilors refused to deal with the West Dulwich Action Group because it was simply considered 'anti-ltn'.
Many local traders believe that controlled parking and road closures can cause a reduction in pedestrian and fewer customers in their stores, with fear that some are forced to close.
