Work is due to start in the autumn to create a new green 20 mph calming zone west of Knight’s Hill and Norwood Road. This scheme is a unique approach to traffic calming and will include 85 new street trees. Some of the trees will be planted in tree pits in the road and others in the pavement.
Tree in a road tree pit
The scheme has been developed following a campaign by local residents to expand the existing 20mph zone around Cheviot Road and tackle rat running and speeding to and from Leigham Court Road. A series of consultation activities followed an initial resident’s workshop in 2010. The necessary statutory notices have already gone out and fuller details of the scheme will be available soon with more opportunities to comment.
A group of residents are talking to Lambeth council’s tree experts about the types of street trees that would best suit the area. To get involved in these discussions please email the group at: trees4westnorwood@yahoo.co.uk
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Being from the Knights Hill area referred to, where our streets are pretty green already, and apart from taking years, (after the Parking services systematically issued fines) a few years back of lobbying to get partial footway parking in some of the already narrow streets. I don’t recall a campaign by local residents or being notified about any workshops regarding there being further traffic calming needs in the area in 2010. We already have a 20mph scheme in place, (including the speed tables in Cheviot Rd which are a disaster area every winter when it’s icy or snows. One resident on the corner of Cheviot Rd, has had to have bollards constructed outside their garden by the council to prevent further damage to their walls and roadside trees, from the numerous slipping vehicles on the paved speed table surface in winter including local refuse collection lorries).
There was some of consultation on additional traffic calming in this area by the Council in 2011, in which it now appears that there had already been a decision made that the scheme was going to be implemented anyway. The questionnaires didn’t ask whether residents actually wanted further traffic calming nor did it clarify on the final cost of the scheme (as asked by some residents at one of the consultation meetings, which Lambeth officers attended), but only seemed to dwell on the details of type of traffic calming. I don’t recall the results, conclusions and proposals following the survey being widely published or distributed to the residents of the area this year in the same way that the Questionnaires for the survey were last year.
I had to search for information on the internet last week when I saw the first signs of roadworks on the corner of Leaf Grove, which will probably cause more problems than prevent, especially when emergency vehicles such as Fire Engines need to negotiate the now incredibly restricted junction created with the Lamberhurst Rd, when on an emergency call out.
What I think residents would like to know is the total cost of this traffic calming scheme in the West Knights Hill area including elements from TFL and Lambeth? And despite it seems that it may be largely funded by TFL, it’s still public money and in these times of austerity and cutbacks these combined funds could be used for much more deserving public and community needs, such as restoring West Norwood Library and the Nettlefold Hall.
Maybe the Mayor of London (and TFL) might be persuaded that there are better reasons for these funds to be used constructively for more deserving needs in the communities of London than supplementing already existing residential traffic calming schemes.
The scheme has not been imposed on residents but designed in response to demands from residents for traffic calming in what is an entirely residential area. The survey in Spring 2011 asked a clear question “Do you support the proposed 20mph zone?” and 76% of responses replied in favour.The results can be seen on the council web site under Transport & Streets by clicking on the Transport design consultation menu.
Residents have also asked for more street trees and a group is working with the council to look at the species most suited to the area.
The number of salt bins were increased a few years ago to help deal with ice on the many hills in West Norwood.