In a week’s time, on November 27, the rush-hour low-traffic neighbourhood will begin on the streets of Greenwich and Blackheath. Through traffic will be banned from using roads east and west of Greenwich Park between 7am and 10am, and 3pm to 7pm on weekdays, with exemptions for buses, taxis and people in special circumstances. AVERIL LEKAU, Greenwich Council’s deputy leader, explains why it is implementing the scheme.
Our babies are struggling to breathe. In all of London, Greenwich has the fourth-highest rate of newborns being admitted to hospitals for respiratory tract illnesses. It’s heartbreaking. The cause? Air pollution that soars well above what the World Health Organisation considers safe in many parts of our borough.
Traffic plays a big part in this and yet 40 per cent of our residents don’t even own a car. We need a transport network that prioritises safe and accessible options for everyone. This means moving away from car dependency: making it easier to walk and cycle, improving public transport, reducing congestion and improving air quality.
One of the areas worst affected by congestion and air pollution is west and east Greenwich. We first trialled a scheme to reduce traffic in west Greenwich in 2020, but residents told us we needed to consider both west and east Greenwich together to ensure both areas benefited from any changes.
So, we did extensive engagement last year before beginning a new trial. First, we asked local people what they thought the issues were, where they were, and how they could be fixed. In the next phase we presented a range of design options. The feedback showed that local people agree that there is an issue but had concerns about the solutions we proposed.
So, we listened, and we made some big changes. Most of the filters will be cameras instead of bollards or planters, which the emergency services prefer, to stop through traffic on certain roads. The timing of the restrictions are part-time so they only apply at weekdays and at peak times.
We’ve also significantly extended exemptions for blue badge holders, taxis, private hire vehicles, council bin lorries, and individuals and community groups in special circumstances such as children with special educational needs.
While some roads may have restrictions, they will still be open to people walking and cycling. All addresses will remain accessible by car though drivers who don’t have a permit may need to take a different route.
We wrote to over 9,200 households, received over 8,000 responses, held seven events attended by over 400 people, needed to pause during three sensitive election periods and then presented the final proposals at a further scrutiny meeting to get us to this point.
This is an emotive subject. There are very strong feelings on both sides, and while it’s easy to only listen to the people who shout, we’ve tried to reach residents in the middle who might not feel like they’ve been listened to before.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the unaccountable faceless social media accounts and websites posting misinformation about schemes like this. The people that hide behind these accounts create a hostile environment and stop people from sharing their viewpoints freely.
But I’m proud to put my name next to what we’re trying to achieve. There’s no conspiracy. There’s no “war on motorists”. But, if we’re serious about cleaning up our air, about being carbon neutral and protecting our children’s lungs, then the answer cannot be “‘do nothing”.
I have heard the feedback from residents, fellow councillors and those who attended scrutiny meetings. The additional scrutiny was welcome – I want to make sure that people know how seriously we are taking this. We want this to work, and to work for everyone. We need to change how residents think about travel, encouraging more walking, cycling and public transport use.
While cars will still be needed for some trips, a decrease in overall traffic will make the area safer and more pleasant for everyone, including those who rely on cars. We’re also calling for improvements to public transport and investing in local infrastructure to encourage a shift to low emission vehicles.
Residents will have the opportunity to give more feedback during the trial, when they can see first-hand how it’s working. The council will carefully monitor the impact of the measures, collecting data on traffic data, air quality, queue-lengths and bus journey times before and during the trial in the area and on boundary roads . If necessary further changes could be made.
I hope the local community will see we’re trying to deliver a cleaner, greener, safer and healthier borough, for the benefit of everyone in Greenwich.
Averil Lekau is the cabinet member for climate action, sustainability and transport
The roads where cameras will be put in place are:
West of Greenwich Park:
- Crooms Hill (junction with Burney Street) – Camera enforced traffic filter
- Circus Street (junction with Royal Hill) – Camera enforced traffic filter
- Royal Hill (junction with Royal Place) – Camera enforced traffic filter
- Royal Hill (junction with Point Hill) – Camera enforced traffic filter
- Winforton Street (junction with Point Hill) – Camera enforced traffic filter
- Maidenstone Hill (junction with Point Hill) – Camera enforced traffic filter
- Lindsell Street (junction with Greenwich South Street) – no entry (into Lindsell Street)
East of Greenwich Park:
- Westcombe Hill (junction with Station Crescent) – bus gate
- Halstow Road – Camera enforced traffic filter
- Vanbrugh Hill (junction with Dinsdale Road) – bus gate
- Maze Hill (junction with Tom Smith Close) – Camera enforced traffic filter
- St Johns Park (junction with Vanbrugh Park) – Camera enforced traffic filter
- Langton Way (junction with Old Dover Road) – Camera enforced traffic filter
Details of how to apply for an exemption are on the Greenwich Council website.
Thanks for reading The Greenwich Wire. You can follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Threads. You can also sign up for WhatsApp alerts – or subscribe to our emails through the blue box above.
Comments are closed.