Home
West and East Greenwich neighbourhood management project - stage 1 consultation
West and East Greenwich neighbourhood management project
Forty per cent of households in Royal Greenwich don’t have a car. Yet traffic can affect everyone’s quality of life through air and noise pollution, congestion, speeding and inconsiderate parking. However, we also understand that for some people and businesses, there are essential journeys that need to be made by vehicle.
We need to create a transport network which provides safe and attractive travel options for everyone, and reduces the negative impacts that traffic can create.
To help achieve this, we want to make our roads and pavements more attractive for walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting, and encourage greater use of public transport. We also want to reduce traffic using residential streets, where alternative routes are available.
This is a vital part of the Council’s Transport Strategy and essential to making the borough carbon neutral by 2030. Making travelling around the borough easier, safer and greener, and creating safer, more attractive neighbourhoods are priorities in our new corporate plan, Our Greenwich.
We know roads like Crooms Hill, Maze Hill and a number of other streets are congested at peak times. Air quality in the area is poor, with high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10) across both west and east Greenwich. Many local residents have told us they’re concerned about road safety and don’t feel safe walking or cycling in the area. Serious collisions involving people walking and cycling have been recorded at several streets within both areas, including Crooms Hill and Westcombe Park Road. Our research indicates that many drivers aren’t visiting local addresses; they’re using residential roads as a shortcut, which has a negative impact on our neighbourhoods.
We want to work with residents and businesses in west and east Greenwich to see how we can reduce traffic, improve air quality and make the area safer, greener and more enjoyable. Together with data on current traffic conditions in both areas, we will use your ideas and feedback to help design measures that will create a safer, greener transport network for the local community. Following further consultation with you, we plan to trial these measures later in 2023 and there will be more opportunities to give feedback during the proposed trial.
After removing the previous measures in west Greenwich, why are you planning to start again?
A low traffic neighbourhood was trialled in the west Greenwich area between August 2020 and December 2021, using an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO). During the trial, we invited local people to give their feedback on the changes. We received significant levels of feedback from residents in east Greenwich, saying it had pushed more traffic into the neighbourhood, particularly Maze Hill and Westcombe Park Road. We listened to this feedback and decided the trial measures should not be introduced on a permanent basis.
However, congestion and poor air quality are still serious issues for both west and east Greenwich. Many residents have told us they’re concerned about safety in the local area, as both neighbourhoods have narrow streets and high footfall. With many homes, Greenwich Park, eight schools and other busy community facilities in the area or close by, it is essential these issues are addressed.
We’re committed to tackling these problems, to help reduce traffic, improve air quality and make it safer and easier for people to walk, wheel, cycle and scoot through the area. The feedback received after the first trial demonstrated the need to consider both areas at the same time, to ensure both areas benefit from any changes and that the potential impacts are carefully considered. So we’re asking residents and businesses in both areas for their ideas and feedback, to help develop designs for each neighbourhood that can be trialled later in 2023. We will also use data on the traffic conditions in both areas and undertake equality impact assessments (EQIAs) to consider how the proposals may affect local people.
This is the start of a process to design traffic management measures that will enable local residents to enjoy less congestion, better air quality and safer streets. However, we cannot pre-determine what measures may be suggested. We’re keen for local people to share their thoughts, ideas and concerns to help us to co-design measures that best meet the needs of the local community.
As well as traffic and transport issues, you can also address other things like seating, greening, lighting, cycle parking and much more. Your knowledge of the area is vital to making sure the designs address the concerns and issues that you face, travelling around your borough.
Why are you consulting?
We know that there is a strong local community in this area, who want to see an improved transport network with reduced congestion, improved air quality and safer roads. Designing these improvements in close consultation with local people enables you to help us shape the designs for your neighbourhoods. We want to find out what works at the moment, what doesn’t and hear any ideas you may have for improvements within the areas.
All comments and suggestions received in the previous consultation will be considered along with new feedback. You are welcome to provide further comments if you'd like to.
How can people give their feedback?
You can give your feedback in a number of different ways:
through our interactive map where you can mark roads and junctions and tell us what improvements you want to see
at in person events, taking place in both west and east Greenwich during the initial consultation period; you can meet our team, ask questions and share your views:
Wednesday 22 February, 7pm to 8.30pm - West Greenwich library (Greenwich High Rd, SE10 8NN)
Tuesday 28 February, 7pm to 8.30pm - Greenwich Centre library (12 Lambarde Square, SE10 9HB)
Please note the dates have not changed, however the sites have now swapped from those published initially, and the addresses have been corrected.
The consultation closes on Friday 24 March 2023 at 5pm.
How will you decide where to make changes?
Please share your ideas and feedback with us. Alongside traffic and safety data, we will analyse all your feedback and draw up some initial options for both areas. Feedback received from the previous trial will also be reviewed as part of this process. There will be further consultation on these designs, before the Council takes a decision on what measures to trial in each neighbourhood, and what other complementary improvements we can make to public spaces.
The trial will be operated using an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO), which may be in place for up to 18 months. Using an ETO to make these changes allows us to trial changes on streets so we can see how they work before making any decision on whether they should become permanent.
During the trial, local people can give feedback as part of the statutory ETO consultation process. We will closely monitor the impact of the measures and further changes could be made if necessary.
Once the trial is complete, the final decision will be taken by the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, based on careful analysis of the monitoring data collected, comments received on Commonplace, and relevant policies and plans held by the Council.
How will you tell people about the project, giving feedback and how decisions are made?
We’re keen to hear from as many local residents and businesses as possible. We’re writing letters to all residents and businesses in the west and east Greenwich neighbourhoods, including maps that show the areas under consideration. We will provide reminders and updates at each key stage on Council communication channels including our website, our Commonplace engagement website, Greenwich Info, our email newsletter and on our social media accounts. You can register to receive notifications for Commonplace news or sign up for the email newsletter.
You can submit a petition, however please note this will be viewed as one submission. We would encourage residents and businesses to share their individual views and concerns.
How is it being funded?
The project is funded by a combination of Council budget and money received from Transport for London’s Local Implementation Plan (LIP) programme. LIP funding helps London boroughs improve their transport network and tackle local priorities.
Royal Greenwich’s priorities are set out in our new corporate plan, Our Greenwich, the Transport Strategy and our Carbon Neutral Plan. Two of our key missions are to make travelling around the borough easier, safer and greener, and to create safer, more attractive neighbourhoods, for the benefit of all Royal Greenwich residents and businesses.
Most of the features on Commonplace are accessible using screen readers on all types of browser. If necessary, users can get additional support by phone or email and Commonplace will provide help in giving feedback. More details can be found on Commonplace’s Accessibility statement. (People can also attend the Council’s public events to give their feedback in person.)
This engagement phase has finished
...
