Controversial Wandsworth Bridge Road Planter Hit Multiple Times
Residents raise concerns about 'idiotic' traffic calming measures
Recent damage to the planter Wandsworth Bridge Road
March 27, 2025
A planter on Wandsworth Bridge Road has been left badly damaged after reportedly being hit by passing vehicles at least twice – something locals feared could happen. Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which installed traffic-calming measures along the road last year including planters and seating decks, has confirmed it will be carrying out repairs.
The local authority added it will be progressing work towards the summer for raised pedestrian crossings and new kerblines. The council installed the street furniture along Wandsworth Bridge Road last autumn in a bid to reduce congestion and pollution and support local businesses. Those opposed to them pointed to reduced space on the road, with cyclists potentially veering into the road to avoid them and drivers having to slow down to avoid hitting them, and fears they could actually increase collisions.
They are designed to work as part of the wider South Fulham Clean Air Neighbourhood (CAN), a scheme which has also seen cameras erected on streets to the east and west of Wandsworth Bridge Road to prevent drivers without local access rat-running.
Those caught are issued a fine, though there are a number of exemptions, such as for people with cars registered in the borough, black cabs, carers and business visitors. The council says the combined efforts have led to 15,000 fewer cars per day using residential streets as cut-throughs.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) first visited the parklets on Wandsworth Bridge Road, as some of the installations are known, not long after their introduction last October. While some residents and workers were scathing about the impact on traffic and road safety, others were more positive, in particular for slowing down vehicles.
The planters are part of a scheme to calm traffic on the road
The parklets have continued to draw attention, with Conservative councillor Jose Afonso calling for them to be removed in a letter to Cllr Sharon Holder, Cabinet Member for Public Realm, earlier this year.
One of the planters, which protect the parklets, has since been badly damaged, with two residents who live near the installation telling the LDRS earlier this week that it had been hit by passing vehicles.
Silva Deakin, whose home faces the planter, said it had been hit three times. She described the measures as an ‘idiotic scheme’, claiming ‘the whole neighbourhood is up in arms’.
“It’s just [a] nightmare,” she added. “And you know, where do they find funds to do ridiculous things like that?”
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said they understood it had been hit on two occasions. They added that while the installations had slowed the traffic down ‘to a crawl’, which is good for residents, they believe it poses challenges for drivers.
A worker in a nearby shop said, “I think come summer people will eventually enjoy them [as they’ll use the seating], but they have been more of a hindrance.”
A spokesperson for Hammersmith and Fulham Council said, “Residents and businesses told us they want a high street not a highway. We are returning Wandsworth Bridge Road to its former self, as a high street at the centre of the community.
“The project features not just parklets – but also improvements to side street junctions, improved pedestrian crossings, new kerblines, de-cluttering of pavements and new benches, which have already been installed. These measures all have safety at their heart. They will reduce congestion on the road, manage vehicle speeds more effectively and create a safer, cleaner and greener environment while increasing opportunities for businesses.”
It was recently revealed that concerns were raised about the impact of the Wandsworth Bridge Road installations on cyclists’ safety in a council-commissioned audit. The report, released to a local resident following a Freedom of Information request and seen by the LDRS, warned of ‘side swipes or crash avoidance manoeuvres, which may result in cyclists and motorcyclists being struck as they filter through traffic or are overtaken’.
WSP, the consultancy which produced the audit, recommended greater clarity from the council on how cyclists and drivers should use the road. The council however initially rejected the call, and in response wrote drivers and cyclists are ‘not automatons’ and instead ‘will read the road in front of them and follow the path of least resistance whilst being aware of their surroundings and any obstacles/potential interactions ahead’.
Caroline Shuffrey, the resident who submitted the FoI, said, “Too many residents living in the area this traffic scheme is utter madness posing a danger to all, vehicle drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and most of all to the people sitting in the parklets on the road itself.”
A spokesperson for the council said, “There were 14 road safety audit recommendations across two reports and the vast majority of those recommendations were either fully accepted or partially accepted in Wandsworth Bridge Road relating to parklets. And two that our engineers did initially reject were then subsequently accepted after the parklets were installed and reviewed.
“This is just part of a standard safety audit process in which officers evaluate, in an objective, reasoned and considered manner, the issues raised by auditors and the subsequent response of the design team.”
Ben Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |