Revised Plans Made for Wood Lane to Notting Hill Cycle Lane
TfL says new design will protect majority of trees on route
CGI of proposed cycle route at Shepherd's Bush Green
Transport for London (TfL) says that has developed improvements to the plan for a cycleway between Wood Lane and Notting Hill which it is to put to Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea council (K&C) and residents in the area opposed to the scheme.
They made the announcement on the back of the publication of the consultation report into the plan. K&C responded to the consultation with a statement which explained they could not support the proposals, highlighting several areas of concern.
TfL now say it has made changes which it believes would deal with many of the issues raised in consultation and these proposed revised designs would protect the majority of the trees along the route. TfL has carried out some high-level design work showing how 20 of the 25 trees that were originally proposed to be removed could be retained. Further details of these plans do not yet appear to have been published. The CGI of the scheme issued recently by TfL remain unchanged from those released at the initial consultation.
TfL has had initial discussions with K&C regarding these changes and will now widen the discussions to include local residents’ groups, businesses and other organisations.
The scheme consulted on in May of this year was for a two-way segregated cycleway with new pedestrian crosses and changes to the layout of bus stops. It required the removal of trees, particularly along Holland Park Avenue. There were also changes to parking and loading bays and hours of operation
More than 5,000 people responded to the consultation. The consultation report does not specify the overall level of support or opposition to the scheme. It shows that over 40% raised concerns about increased congestion resulting from the scheme and 1,565 respondents believed the scheme would worsen air quality in the area. 1265 people were against the scheme because they didn’t want trees to be removed. Of those who provided a view, over 70 per cent thought that the proposals would enable more people to walk, with 58 per cent saying the same about cycling. A majority of people responding also believed that the changes would reduce the number of private car journeys in the area.
CGI of proposed cycle route in Wood Lane
The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham is supporting the proposals, and TfL is now working with the borough to finalise its plans for this part of the scheme.
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “There has been a fatality and a number of serious injuries on this stretch of road over recent years, so these proposals are about keeping Londoners safe and saving lives. I’m really pleased that the consultation has shown such strong support for the plans, with a clear majority of people understanding the difference they will make enabling more walking and cycling, and making the area safer for everyone.
“TfL is continuing to work with Kensington and Chelsea on the details of the plans to ensure they are the very best they can be, and they will continue to ensure the views of all residents are taken on board.”
CGI of route on Holland Park Avenue
Clare Rogers, Community Outreach Worker for central London at London Cycling Campaign, said: ““The results of this consultation demonstrate that Londoners agree the proposals will improve conditions for walking and cycling. With amendments now proposed to the plans, to take into account concerns raised, we look forward to Kensington & Chelsea’s councillors, businesses and residents working with TfL to deliver these vital cycle safety improvements.“
New 2018 data shows that cycling in London is at record levels with the average daily total distance cycled exceeding 4million kilometres for the first time. Construction on major new routes between Tower Bridge Road and Greenwich and Acton and Wood Lane is underway. TfL is also currently inviting people to have their say on another route between Lea Bridge and Dalston and work will commence on a new Cycleway between Kensington Olympia and Brentford later this year.
We have asked K&C for comment.
November 5, 2019