Plans to install a set of low traffic neighbourhoods have been approved by Greenwich Council, as residents fear their local streets are becoming ‘motorways’.
The scheme will see through traffic on streets on either side of Greenwich Park being blocked using number plate recognition cameras during rush hour on weekdays.
The changes will be introduced as a trial scheme running for 18 months between 7am and 10am as well as between 3pm and 7pm, with exemptions in place for special groups such as blue badge holders, council bin trucks and taxis. The council has claimed residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the trial, with the authority closely monitoring the impact of the measures and making further changes if necessary.
Roads affected by the scheme include Westcombe Hill, Vanbrugh Hill and Maze Hill in East Greenwich. Routes on the other side of the park in West Greenwich include Crooms Hill, Royal Hill and Circus Street.
The final decision on the new traffic restrictions was made by Labour Councillor Averil Lekau, cabinet member for climate action, environment and transport, on August 20. The councillor said the current scheme had been informed by feedback from ward councillors and residents at the scrutiny call-in meeting on July 31.
Conservative Councillor Matt Hartley claimed at the meeting that residents felt ignored after a consultation on the scheme found 79 per cent of respondents opposed the proposals. The councillor said at the meeting that he felt the decision to install the low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) had already been predetermined by the authority before the consultation began.
Cllr Lekau responded by saying that the initial plans for the LTN had been amended following residents’ feedback, with over 8,000 responses being received from the consultation on the plans. The changes to the proposals included the scheme being limited to rush hour periods on weekdays and hard road closures being replaced by number plate recognition cameras.
The cabinet member added that the consultation on the proposals was never intended to be used as a ‘referendum’. Several residents criticised the scheme, with local Sarah Gared claiming her journeys would quadruple in time and distance if the LTNs were approved. However, locals also praised the potential for traffic to be reduced on their streets.
Colin Humphries, a resident of Maze Hill, said at the meeting: “Sat navs [have turned] our streets into motorways… I want to be able to take my son to football without putting his life in danger. I’m here trying to save my children’s lives by reducing traffic on our residential roads.”
Ward councillors surrounding the affected areas also called in the decision, claiming the neighbouring streets of Charlton and Blackheath would be negatively impacted by traffic being pushed away from the park. Cllr Lekau has since responded to these concerns, with council documents claiming Charlton and Blackheath would be monitored over the course of the trial alongside the scheme’s area.
Surrounding streets will also be subjected to drop-in sessions to gain feedback from residents. However, the cabinet member denied a request from residents to install hard closures on Maidenstone HIll, claiming emergency services and the council’s waste collection service supported using automatic number plate recognition cameras instead.
Cllr Lekau said in a statement that the new LTNs would make it easier for people to walk and cycle in the borough by reducing traffic. She added that traffic was one of the main causes of air pollution and contributed to 31 per cent of Greenwich’s carbon emissions. The authority set out its carbon neutral plan in 2019, aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2030.
The cabinet member said: “I recognise there are strong feelings on both sides. Local people agree that there is an issue and were supportive of the vision for improving the environment, with less through traffic, and better air quality but had concerns about the proposals the council consulted on during phase two. Following what residents said, big changes have been proposed – including part time closures and significantly extended exemptions.”
