Waterloo residents are increasingly concerned about the persistent noise from motorbikes, particularly during evenings and nights, impacting their quality of life. Councillor Ibrahim Dogus has raised the issue at a recent Lambeth Council meeting, seeking concrete action to address the disturbances.
According to the Council Questions Final document from the October 15th meeting, Councillor Dogus directed his inquiry to Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air.
Councillor Chowdhury acknowledged the problem and outlined potential measures under consideration. These include design changes to deter antisocial behaviour, a review of transport infrastructure, and enforcement tools. Specific design changes under consideration aim to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour. The council will also explore enforcement tools such as Public Space Protection Orders, noise cameras, or injunctions. Furthermore, the council will continue to review the transport and road layout to see what further changes could help
mitigate motorbike noise.
However, Councillor Chowdhury noted that financial constraints could impact the implementation timeline. She stated that options would need to be fully developed and costed before committing to implementation, citing challenging financial situations.
Unfortunately, the council's finances have been left in a very challenging financial situation by 14 years of austerity begun by the Liberal Democrats and these options would need to be fully developed and costed before we can commit to an implementation,
said Councillor Chowdhury. She added that she wants to continue working with Councillor Dogus and the police to find a solution that benefits residents.
To build a strong evidence base, Councillor Chowdhury encourages residents to report incidents to the Police and to the council's noise team.
Councillor Clare Holland and Councillor Issa have also been involved, attending public meetings on the issue.
