Following the publication by Enfield Council of a report on its engagement with the public over its proposals for a low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) in the Fox Lane area, a residents' group which has been campaigning to remove through traffic from the area has commented on its findings, which showed considerable variation in attitudes between the different streets, reflecting the volumes and speeds of traffic using each street.
Jeremy Hay-Campbell, a spokesperson for the Fox Lane LTN Group, said:
“The findings published by Enfield Council reinforce the strong interest local residents are taking in this issue. There has been a huge and welcome response – some 1,174 comments.
“The research reinforces the desire for change in the streets that have been most impacted by the high levels of traffic residents have faced for too many years – and less for those where this is not so much an issue. This is to be expected.
“But any approach needs to be on the basis of the whole area – you can’t make changes to just some residential roads; it needs to be all residential roads otherwise traffic will simply divert to those quieter roads. We believe this whole area approach is the right one as do other local groups and as does the Council.
“The FAQs on the engagement hub are very informative addressing many of the concerns we have heard such as traffic evaporation and how to address bottle-necks.
“There has been a lot of progress since the Council unveiled their original plans. Our alternative plans provide a more realistic way forward and many others locally support that. We are pleased the Council are reviewing their original plans and in particular creating more entrance/exit points beyond the original two planned. And a planned 20mph speed limit is also very welcome.
“We look forward to seeing the next version of the plans, engaging with officers and members alike and seeing a trial introduced that delivers the effective change this neighbourhood has been crying out for.”
Fox Lane Quieter Neighbourhood Engagement Findings March 2020 - main points
The Engagement Report relates to Enfield Council's November 2019 proposals for a low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) in the Fox Lane area. It includes analysis of the large number of responses received during the six week consultation period that followed the exhibition in the former Starbucks cafe in Palmers Green. The responses comprised:
- 1174 comments and 67 questions through the Let’s Talk platform;
- 267 comments cards from the public exhibition;
- 166 emails;
- 147 signatures on a petition from residents in Oakfield Road;
- Four letters from stakeholder groups.
Level of support for the council's November 2019 proposals
(for streets from which more than 15 comments were received)
The analysis has been done on a street-by-street basis and shows that in most streets residents who responded were opposed to the scheme on show at the exhibition. There were, however, four streets where 50 per cent or more of respondents were positive about the proposals: Amberley Road, Old Park Road, the Mall and Grovelands Road - it's no coincidence that these are the busiest streets that suffer most from traffic cutting through the area.
Based on the feedback the council has listed the following "principles to take forward":
- Reduce the overall number of filters, creating more flexibility on entry and exit points
- Enable greater flow for emergency vehicles / refuse collection / delivery vehicles
- Include 20mph speed limits
- Deliver further engagement, including visits to businesses within the area.
"Filters" refers to obstacles such as bollards or planters which allow only people on foot or on bicycles to pass. Dch rivers will need to use a different route to reach the area on the far side of the filter.
"Next steps" are listed as:
- Development of a revised scheme design, using principles developed from the engagement
- Ward Councillor involvement on revised scheme design
- A workshop session with local community representatives to discuss revised design and how it is presented
- Sharing of revised design to wider community
- Decision on whether to procced with a trial
- If a trial period is decided, formal consultation would then start enabling a further opportunity for comment
- Share baseline data and monitoring approach.
A Frequently Asked Questions section provides answers to various concerns raised in the consultation responses.
The council has not announced a date by which its revised proposals will be revealed, but says that it will be considering all alternatives that have been proposed during the consultation period. These will undoubtedly include the alternatives proposed by the Fox Lane LTN Group and by the Fox Lane Area Working Group - both with far fewer "filters" than initially proposed by the council.
The council say they are hoping to start a trial this summer.
The full report is at https://letstalk.enfield.gov.uk/2734/documents/4105.
Links
Fox Lane Area Quieter Neighbourhood page on Consultation Hub
