Harcourt Road - Wallington
Sunita Gordon, Marian James and Barry Lewis
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? A 'Pondering' on Elm Ponds ?
Sutton Council continues to fund charities to Combat Domestic Abuse.
Harcourt Road - Wallington
? A 'Pondering' on Elm Ponds ?
Sutton Council continues to fund charities to Combat Domestic Abuse.
Butter Hill Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN)
by Barry on 1 September, 2020
A Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) is a group of residential streets where through motor traffic is discouraged or removed making streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. A trial LTN for Butter Hill is being introduced on the 21st of September by the closing of Mill Lane Bridge. Residents have received formal notification of the closure and a further letter confirming the final details will be with you shortly.
This article explains some of the thinking behind and benefits of the scheme.
The above photograph taken on 13 August 2020 perfectly illustrates the problem in Butter Hill. Many residents will be aware that in January this year there was a very serious accident on Butter Hill where a local resident was badly injured.
After this accident ward councilors met with Highways Engineers and various proposals were put forward including closing one end of Butter Hill. A public meeting to consult on these proposals was planned for the Spring.
Lockdown and the Government.
Lockdown intervened and all plans were put on hold. During lockdown many people became aware of the benefits accruing from reduced traffic including better air quality and more people able to walk and cycle on safer streets.
The Government wanted to capitalise on this and on 09 May issued ‘Fast-tracked statutory guidance…effective immediately will tell councils to reallocate roadspace for significantly-increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians…More side streets could be closed to through traffic, to create low-traffic neighbourhoods and reduce rat-running while maintaining access for vehicles.’
Sutton Council submitted bids for 10 schemes across the Borough including Butter Hill. The schemes were unanimously approved by Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Independent Councillors during a meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee on 06 July of this year.
But why didn’t you ask residents if they thought it was a good idea?
The simple answer is the timescale was very short, the rules said if you don’t have the LTN up and running by the end of September then you will lose this funding and by the way all other TFL funding for this year is stopped.
As ward councillors we protested very strongly about the lack of consultation but ultimately we came to the realisation that this was something we could not control. It now made sense to work with TFL and do our best especially to ensure that residents’ concerns about emergency access were taken into full consideration.
What exactly does the scheme involve?
The closure of the bridge at Mill Lane preventing vehicles entering and exiting Butter Hill at this point. The closure will be monitored by two cameras each side of the Bridge.
How will emergency vehicles access Butter Hill?
The closure will be monitored by ANPR cameras which will allow access for emergency vehicles when coming from the Mill Lane end.
What will the benefits be?
The stopping of rat running through Butter Hill which will reduce traffic, improve air quality and make local roads safer. It is almost certain if these closures had been in place in January of this year then the accident described above would not have happened.
If local roads are safer then parents are more likely to encourage their children to walk or cycle to school, leading to a fitter healthier population that won’t be storing up health problems for the future. The NHS recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week which equates to a brisk 20 minute walk.
If you use your car a lot either because you have to commute or you have a disability that means your mobility is limited then this could mean your journey times are increased. However you and your household will benefit from the cleaner, safer streets and the reduced traffic in Butter Hill.
Have your say.
The scheme is a six month trial. During the trial residents will have the opportunity to feedback their comments and experiences via the Sutton Council website. As local Councillors we know the scheme is controversial and you can give feedback directly to us at wallingtonnorthlibdems@gmail.com. We will also be getting a small focus group together for regular online meetings during the trial.
Talk to your Councilors.
You can come and talk to us next Saturday 05 September on Wallington Green between 10 and 11 am – plus we will be going ‘walkabout’ in Butter Hill on 26th of September to get your immediate responses after the first week of the trial.
If the bridge is being monitored by ANPR cameras, why can’t residents continue to use it? Which would surely alleviate some of the extra traffic having to use the already very busy Carshalton High St or making other side streets new rat runs?
We’ve raised the question about resident access with ANPR and we are awaiting a response.
I am appalled by this article as it proves all along you knew about this scheme and should of involved residents when a bid was made. You said you wanted a meeting in May well its September now and you haven’t put out one single bit of literature. I have sent numerous emails to Cllr Gordon and not even the curtesy of a reply.
Are you saying we can exit from Butter Hill over the bridge or not. If you can exit from the bridge then this scheme will solve nothing as traffic will still come over Butter Hill and I can see it becoming a race track. Are you going to remodel the lights at Wallington Green.
You were asked about access for residents but no mention.
You really aren’t good enough to hold this role are you.
Thank you for your comments
It’s not rocket science to arrange, the residents of Butter Hill and surrounding streets SHOULD have Vehicle access via Mill Lane, why should we be penalised,
Just a thought,
Thanks
L B Saunders.
We have raised the question about resident access with ANPR and are awaiting a response.
Have you thought about non-residents who use this cut through and whom may not know about the closure and will come into the area past the Rose and Crown pub to then realise the bridge is closed and have to turn around therefore making the area potentially more dangerous for at least the first month or so? Will there be signs to say the bridge is closed and if so where? How widely is the bridge closure going to be communicated to people?
I totally understand the commitment to healthier and safer streets – as a commuter-cyclist and father to two children it’s a great cause.
Sadly this closure undermines the viability of my residence in the area as I use both entry/egress points to Butter Hill regularly. Being forced to join the heavy traffic through Carshalton or Hackbridge will negatively impact my family and add to congestion in those areas.
A residents-only access mechanism would alleviate the issue.
If the scheme goes ahead it’s likely I will relocate my family to another area.
I use the bridge regularly as well, but am not sure how much extra time will be spent in traffic. Even if it’s an extra 5 minutes, I feel that’s a good price to pay for cleaner local air and safer local streets.
Should be for residents to use its ridiculous the amount of traffic we will have to sit in and extra time added on our journeys now for something that should take just a few minutes
Thanks for the information. I think we should do the 6 months as planned with or without resident access, and see how it goes. It’s not going to kill anyone, and leaving things as they are could end up with a death at some point.
How about the council/police also pay some attention to the noisy/nuisance/ sometimes criminal scooter and moped riders in the area generally?
Good point Christine. Taking an extra few minutes to our car journeys is not lethal. Meanwhile we all take extra risk and have extra pollution in our lungs from rat runners, both of which can be lethal. Let’s give it a try and see if we like the alternative.
This is going to cause congestion in Leechcroft by Butter Hill if this is the only exit plus be dangerous for cars trying to turn right onto London Road. By having cameras this is just a way of TFL making money after all the residents were not even notified so people whom use the road will not realise the rules have changed about driving over the bridge
I’ve seen alot of concern in these comments about traffic getting out through the Rose and Crown end of the estate, but I think most of the volume of traffic we’ve eperienced at that end over the last few years may have been made up of rat-running vehicles, rather than residents’ vehicles. Once it’s residents only, I think it might get moving quicker than we expected.
Regarding revenue earning, the alternative to an ANPR camera would be a bollard or gate, but this option raised concerns regarding emergency access. The camera seems to be a reasonable compromise between taking no action and installing a bollard. I’m personally not concerned about people getting fines if they’re trying to rat-run through the neighborhood. I’d prefer not to have extra pollution in my lungs, and risk less crossing the street so if a fine puts them off, I’m all for it.
I agree something needs to be done when you get the few idiots who think that’s it’s ok to just try and get over the bridge into Mill lane before vehicles coming from mill lane. I live in strawberry lane and sometimes go through Mill lane to the ponds. I am very wary as I approach the bridge as I know some fool is going to come fly over the bridge and not stop to make sure approaching cars are going straight on rather than turning over the bridge. Closing the bridge is not the answer this will cause problems for Mill lane create more traffic through carshalton village and the ponds. I use the bridge to a lot do not want to see it close but maybe we could make the bridge one way?
I know what you mean. My commute takes me across that bridge by bicycle, and I’m really wary of it. I’ve almost been knocked off compeltely at twice this year already. I’m hoping this intervention can fix the issue.
I don’t live in the immediate area but I do very occasionally make use of the route, in both directions but most frequently when driving towards Wallington, so I assume I’m entitled to throw in my penny’s worth here.
Like at least one of the other schemes being introduced in Sutton under this Government led initiative the scheme might be worthy of proper consideration and trial (at least for through traffic). Unfortunately I’m not convinced that this is the case here for the simple and rather obvious fact that no provision has been made to deal in any shape or form with the inevitable and potentially very serious effects on traffic flows along the alternative routes through Carshalton High Street or Hackbridge.
I can’t help but notice how, after Councillor Barry had the courtesy of replying to the first three comments on here, none of the councillors have had the decency to reply to subsequent comments. I don’t hold out too much hope mine will be treated differently.
I’m really excited too see this installed in my neighborhood. I regularly cycle and walk around this neighborhood and in the last few years have found the increasing incidence of rat runners charging through at well over 20mph (the speed limit) to be increasingly threatening my safety, especially on that bridge where I’ve almost been knocked off entirely at least twice in the last year. Had anyone else noticed how the local kids ride their bicycles on the roads in Victoria avenue, Lyndon avenue, Curran, at Mary’s and Burleigh, but invariably switch to the pavement for Elm Grove Parade, Butter Hill and Leechcroft (I.e. the roads people use to rat run)? We shouldn’t expect kids to have to break the law just to feel safe riding their bikes. We shouldn’t be putting up with rat runners increasing local air pollution just to shave a few minutes of their journey time. Thank you for being Beaver enough to put this proposal forward.
*brave enough (though my phone’s autocorrect seems to think you’re “Beaver enough” as well).
I do not understand why closing the bridge would benefit residents. Why do i need to drive down an already congested area of Carshalton High Street, add 15 mins just to go to Carshalton Station that would have taken me 2 minutes to pick up family members? There are other ways to minimise traffic without the residents having to be put out, Frankly, reasons of pollution or some drivers going ‘faster’ does not really cut it. Make it for residents of the nearby roads only.
This a very bad scheme that will not solve the problem of so much traffic in the area especially high increase in H G V ‘s.
My car was hit by a female driver using map on her phone as she cut in on the inside at that junction. No camera to prove what happened and she got away with it.
I am guilty of using Butter Hill to get to St Heliers hospital for cancer appointments and blood tests. Having to go through Carshalton in my car or on the bus, can take a very long time most times of the day and make me late for appointments or miss them altogether,
I got caught out in Butter Hill and have had to pay a fine for doing so. It was not clear what the sign or lack of clear information was being made, Mistakenly I thought it was a warning of road works ahead on the old bridge and so crossed it with caution not knowing that I was in the wrong completely unaware of what is actually going on. The Bridge needs to be closed completely to ALL traffic and only for the use of pedestrians and cyclist and NOT as a money making trap that currently it clearly is.
I have received two fines for going to visit a resident on butter hill, was certainly not using it as a rat run I drove in that way and then back out late at night and didn’t notice any signs. It really isn’t clear that the bridge is closed. A similar bridge elsewhere in carshalton has been properly blocked off. This is just a money making trap for motorists. £130 fine for driving somewhere i have been allowed to drive for the 50 years i lived in Carshalton. Not happy.
It’s brilliant no racing traffic in our road at all times of the day ! And yes it’s made money which I think will be re invested in our community at some stage , but it’s quite clearly sign posted at both entrances , we’ve seen more people walking and cycling in the local area than ever before , the revenue from the bridge will stop eventually once people realise it’s closed, it benefits most people from the local area and adding a few extra minutes on a journey isn’t the end of the world! Why wouldn’t people want to live in a traffic free estate ?
I cover the sutton area in my job a mobile fitter. I very rarely have to go to that particular area unless requested by a customer. I followed my sat nav to an address nearby and carried out the repair. I left driving out of the side road onto the main road across the bridge. There were 2 of us in the van and never noticed the signs at all..! The flower pot on my side of the road was obscured by a parked van making it impossible to see, and the road looked perfectly usable. If this is not an intentional money making scheme then put an access barrier for emergency vehicle to open like other schemes do..!! What a RIP off.. I would love to know the revenue from these cameras in the last few months .!!
I live in manor rd north and a i use the bridge a lot as many others by not being able to use butterhill you are pushing the traffic on serounding roads means more lines of traffic and double the amount of emissions my road is blocked at peak times as well becaurse hackbridge lots of traffic buttre hill should not get preferentlal treatment as we all pay council tax and road tax to be able to use all roads. If you really
want to solve the flow of traffic it is not rocket science you need to get rid of wallington green traffic lights and put around about system instead of keep wasting all of the money