Streatham Action Statement

Streatham Wells
Low Traffic Neighbourhood
trial starts Monday 23rd October

 

Streatham Action stance on Streatham Wells trial LTN

Streatham Action and its transport group’s stance with regard to launching any Streatham Wells trial LTN is that evidence of success achieved on the Streatham Hill LTN should have been shared with us before even a trial Streatham Wells LTN was considered for implementation.  

 

Streatham Action and Lambeth Council

The Streatham Action Committee is at one with Lambeth Council in wishing to have an environment in which to live that is as safe and clean as possible.  

As the local community forum for the wards making up Streatham town centre, Streatham Action exists to facilitate local conversations and to give a voice to residents to improve the area in which we live, work and play. To help us to achieve this, we require information and data to share with our community, particularly when requested. As we receive funding from Lambeth Council, this is especially important.

 

Streatham Action petition

Following on from a 7th December 2022 public meeting about the Streatham Wells LTN organised by the committee - after concerns raised at its AGM on 22nd November about limited consultation - Streatham Action then facilitated a petition on the request of the vast majority of residents at that public meeting who felt that they had not been consulted. 

The 1,341 petition signatories were concerned both by the then still high percentage increase in traffic volume being experienced on Leigham Court Road (LCR), in comparison with traffic volume levels before the Streatham Hill LTN had been implemented and also by consequential increases in pollution levels. They requested holding back on proceeding with a Streatham Wells LTN until consultation take place on whether or not they wished to see either a fully-fledged LTN or other traffic measures falling short of an LTN. Such a consultation would have provided residents with the opportunity to oppose a LTN, if they had wished to do so.

 

Volume of traffic

Streatham Action’s Transport Group has repeatedly requested that Lambeth Council share with them any data that may not only serve to indicate a decline below Lambeth Council’s previously shared traffic volume level on LCR of +19% in comparison with the period prior to the Streatham Hill LTN, but also as to the proportion of that uplift that is either through traffic or local traffic. In the absence of any subsequent data, we can only assume the volume of traffic on LCR continues to be well in excess of levels pre-Streatham Hill LTN.  By definition, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods should not be creating high-traffic neighbourhoods elsewhere. 

 

Pollution levels

Streatham Action has also been concerned by consequential high levels of pollution, identified by a Lambeth-commissioned CERC report, at the corner of LCR with Streatham High Road (SHR). Streatham Action has again not been provided with any evidence indicating as to pollution levels on LCR subsequent to the Streatham Hill LTN having become permanent, despite repeated requests by our transport group of Lambeth Council’s air quality monitoring and transport teams, aside from having been supplied with a real-time link to diffusion tubes in place on LCR.

We remain very concerned that pollution levels on LCR are likely to continue to be at high levels, particularly given the large numbers of pupils from Dunraven, Julian’s and Bishop Thomas Grant schools who walk up and down the road at the beginning and end of the school day. 

Whilst it is possible for us to access real-time data via the link provided within Lambeth Council’s petition response in January, this is not the same as logged day-to-day levels at peak times. Streatham Action is concerned that any baseline data on air quality in advance of the Streatham Wells trial LTN being implemented, which we have requested to see, will already be at high levels. 

Children attending Maypole School and Livity School on Adare Walk have complex needs and, as a consequence, are likely to continue with a need to be driven to and from their schools. The inability of parents and carers to be able to drop them off via side roads on LCR will no doubt cause them problems.  

Streatham Action is also concerned that there will be further traffic funnelling on to LCR once the Streatham Wells trial LTN commences, as LCR will then be a boundary road between two LTNs.  

 

Reduced access to Valley Road Surgery

The final design being implemented for the Streatham Wells trial LTN provides no access to Valley Road from its northern end at LCR down to Sunnyhill Road, which has caused many local residents and our committee great concern on behalf of Valley Road Surgery. The number of patients registered at that surgery who need to drive there may now reduce, as the surgery car park is to be only accessible via either Sunnyhill Road (aside from school streets hours) or the narrower Wellfield Road, coming off Streatham High Road.  

 

Conclusion

Streatham Action’s Committee has serious concerns about implementing the Streatham Wells trial LTN as from Monday 23rd October. There has so far been insufficient evidence received that we can share locally as to the success, or otherwise, of the Streatham Hill LTN achieving its objective of reducing initially very high levels of additional traffic on LCR and consequential high pollution levels.   

 

Without sufficient evidence of the Streatham Hill LTN being a success, Streatham Action’s committee is disappointed that Lambeth Council are implementing even a trial LTN in Streatham Wells, with all of the likely additional problems we anticipate resulting from additional loading of traffic on LCR.

 

Streatham Action is an organisation designed to facilitate local conversations. We request that Lambeth Council now:

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1. share information and data requested by us to help us in fulfilling that facilitating role;
    

2. agree to attend Streatham Action-led meetings with members of the local community in order to discuss that information in a productive way.