In response to a Freedom of Information request, Enfield Council have provided drawings from late 2013 showing the concepts, at that time, for implementing cycle lanes along the Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill stretch of Green Lanes. As we reported in April on the basis of another document, the newly released material does show parking bays at various points along Green Lanes between Bourne Hill and the Triangle - on the eastern side only between Bourne Hill and Fox Lane and on both sides between the Post Office and Triangle.
In the accompanying letter Jonathan Goodson from the Traffic and Transportation department explains that the drawings were "outline proposals only, not detailed proposals", designed "merely to indicate the possibility of providing continuous cycle lanes along either side of the A105 Green Lanes". He adds that
Over the coming months design work and consultation will begin in earnest for the various measures proposed across the borough. In this period outline designs such as these will be developed into more detailed proposals or options that can then be taken to the public and other stakeholders for comment, revision and review.
Mr Goodson says that it is possible to infer information about car parking provision from the drawings, but cautions that the information is likely to be of little use as "the designs are soon to be superseded by more detailed versions and do not take account of any new or alternative parking space that might be worked into the final layouts. [...] In summary, the exercise of establishing what impact the the proposals will have on parking is work that is still to follow."
Cycle lanes and car parking in Green Lanes as per late 2013 outline plans (click on the map for a larger version)The documents can be accessed using the links below:
- Covering letter from the Traffic and Transporation Department
- Map 1 - Broomfield Lane to 383 Green Lanes
- Map 2 - 383 Green Lanes to St Monica's Church
- Map 3 - St Monica's Church to Winchmore Hill Library
- Map 4 - Winchmore Hill Library to Station Road/Ford's Grove
- Map 5 - Station Road to Green Dragon Lane
The drawings comprise maps in PDF format with various layers of information that can be switched on or off. I have studied the maps relating to the stretch of road between Broomfield Lane and Bourne Hill and created a map showing my interpretation of where cycle lanes and car parking bays would be if the outline plans were to be implemented.
Two types of cycle lane are shown: lightly segregated lanes would have obstacles to deter cars from driving onto the lanes, lanes without segretation would just be marked by lines on the road.
The Triangle junction
The Triangle as shown in the drawings. The red hatching represents a "raised table", the traffic island has gone and the red lines show realigned kerbsThe drawings show a significantly reconfigured Triangle junction. The triangular island has been removed and the pavement has been widened on the northern side (see drawing - the red lines show the new kerb alignments). However, in his covering letter Jonathan Goodson states that the drawings
do not attempt to indicate what treatments or options might be proposed for areas where the character of the public realm is of particular importance. Enfield Council recognises the significance of The Triangle as a well-loved public space and, going forward, this will be reflected in the degree of attention paid to the design of this area, and the level of public engagement included within the consultation exercises.
The drawings also show a reconfigured junction with Fox Lane. The mini roundabout has gone, and instead there are traffic lights and pedestrian crossings.
Conclusions
The newly released drawings confirm that when submitting their mini-Holland bid Enfield Council did not envisage a complete ban on parking along the Palmers Green stretch of Green Lanes and that allegations that this was the case were without basis. They also show that the council intended to remove the Triangle traffic island. However, the amount of public disquiet that has since been demonstrated about both reduced car parking and reconfiguration of the Triangle mean that Enfield Council will have to payheed to concerns about both issues when deciding on definitive plans. Those plans might therefore differ significantly from the documents that were released this week.