Forum topic: Fox Lane quieter neighbourhood: More details

Enfield Council has now published a leaflet showing the (presumably) definitive plans for the Fox Lane quieter neighbourhood.  They incorporate a number of changes to the original proposals, made in response to feedback during the consultation.  See the box at the end of this article for details.

According to the Quieter Neighbourhoods web page, planters will initially be placed at either end of the Mall and Selborne Road, enabling the team to confirm the detailed positioning. The remaining planters will then be rolled out across the area a few days later. The intention is to complete this work prior to Christmas (it's unclear whether this schedule refers only to the planters, or to the entire scheme - probably the latter.)

The council will be monitoring the effectiveness of the measures in the Spring, when new data about traffic in the area will be collected and compared with existing baseline data.  As regards the follow-on to the monitoring, Cycle Enfield have informed Better Streets for Enfield that "The processes for discussing the results of the monitoring and making any new proposals will depend in part on the results of the monitoring so have not yet been fully decided".

That (slightly confusing) statement was provided in response to an enquiry by Better Streets, in which the campaigning group expressed their pleasure at the decision to go ahead with the Fox Lane scheme.  In an email to deputy leader Daniel Anderson and other councillors representing wards in and near Palmers Green Better Streets co-chair Clare Rogers wrote:

We especially welcome the commitment in the report to monitor speed and volume post-implementation, and to introduce alternative measures to reduce traffic further if necessary. We are keen to see, as the report says, not just a slight reduction in traffic speed and volume, but a significant reduction - to 'create an environment where walking and cycling are facilitated and seen as the preferred form of travel'. If achieved, this would transform the area by reducing car journeys, increasing physical activity for all ages, reducing air pollution and creating stronger communities.

The Fox Lane quieter neighbourhood was on the agenda of last Friday's Winchmore Hill ward forum, where Clare Rogers gave a presentation about the scheme on behalf of Better Streets for Enfield. She also outlined the thinking behind "low-traffic neighbourhoods", which uses "modal filters" to make it impossible for drivers to cut through residential areas. The "villages" that have been created by Waltham Forest Council in parts of Walthamstow and Leyton use the same principles and have transformed the areas they cover. In the view of Better Streets, if the quieter neighbourhood scheme fails to achieve the desired outcomes, Enfield Council should consider implementing a low-traffic neighbourhood.  This could be done by using additional planters to create strategic barriers to through traffic.

The Better Streets presentation provoked much discussion among the forum attendees. Most people contributing to the debate were in favour of measures to restrict rat running and reduce speeds, though some had objections. A couple of Lakes Estate residents spoke about how much pleasanter their streets had become while temporarily blocked off at one end. A former resident of the area now known as "Walthamstow Village" confirmed that the area had been dramatically changed for the better.

Note

This article was updated on 20 November 2018 to reflect the changed link to details of the proposals on the council website.  The new link goes to a slightly revised version of the map, with planters shown at the Aldermans Hill end of Lakeside Road, Grovelands Road and Old Park Road (presumably they were omitted from the original map inadvertently?)

Links

Quieter Neighbourhoods page on Cycle Enfield website

Full report on the outcome of the Fox Lane QN statutory consultation (The report is the third item in this document pack on the council website - however, the included drawings are incorrect)

Fox Lane quieter neighbourhood scheme to go ahead (PGC 9/10/2018)

Low-traffic neighbourhoods - two new guides (London Living Streets)

Better Streets for Enfield website

Better Streets for Enfield Facebook page