Lansdowne Drive and Westgate Street School Street

Closed 12 Jan 2018

Opened 7 Dec 2017

Contact

Hackney Service Centre

0208 356 2897

Streetscene.Consultations@Hackney.gov.uk

Results updated 18 Feb 2020

Westgate Street outside London Fields Primary School will become a pedestrian, cycle and local buses only zone between 8.30am-9.15am and 3.15pm-4.00pm Monday – Friday during school term-time.

A bus gate will be installed at the junction of Lansdowne Drive and Trederwen Road which will only allow local buses, pedestrians and cyclists through at 7am-10 am and 3pm-7pm Monday to Saturday.

There will be no left turn into Richmond Road from Mare Street at 7am-10 am and 3pm-7pm Monday to Saturday.

The Delegated Powers Decision (DPD) Report showing the results of the consultation is available to download below. Please also see below the subsequent DPD Review Report.

Files:

Overview

The Council is committed to making Hackney’s roads safer for everyone living, working and visiting the borough. These changes aim to create an environment that will encourage more walking and cycling, improve air quality and reduce emissions within the London Fields area.
 
This can only be achieved by reducing the dominance of the private vehicle. Poor air quality resulting from vehicle emissions is finally being recognised for the damage it inflicts upon the health of the city with nearly 10,000 Londoners dying early every year as a result (Kings College London, 2015).
 
Our Transport Strategy includes a number of actions that are relevant to this scheme:
• LN3: Improving air quality – Tackles poor air quality by reducing NO2 and PM10 emissions.
• LN10: School Clean Air Zones – Aims to develop and secure funding for projects
to improve air quality in and around the borough’s schools. School Streets is one such
project.
• LN15: Filtered Streets – Reduces motor traffic on residential streets by the use of road closures or one-way systems to create safer walking and cycling conditions.
• LN20: School Streets – Roads outside schools are closed during certain times of the day.
 
In 2016 we consulted on a number of schemes to reduce the volume of traffic using Middleton Road, which is part of TfL’s Quietway 2 route between Bloomsbury and Walthamstow. The Council’s Cabinet discussed the consultation
and agreed:
 
• a width restriction would be constructed in Middleton Road to remove heavy goods
vehicles
• options would be investigated and identified to address traffic and pollution issues raised during the consultation.

 

Why your views matter

School Street 
London Fields Primary is one of five schools in Hackney that successfully applied to take part in our School Streets pilot which sees roads outside schools closed to traffic at pick up and drop off times.
 
Children in schools that are situated on or are near busy roads may be exposed to higher levels of air pollution and congestion. A key objective is to create a safer, more pleasant environment for everyone using Westgate Street whilst maintaining access for buses, pedestrians and cyclists. Reducing the volume of traffic on Westgate Street should:
 
• reduce road danger from traffic
• reduce pollution around the school gates from idling vehicles
• promote more walking, cycling and active lifestyles for pupils and parents.
 
How will it work?
Westgate Street will be made a pedestrian, bus and cycle only zone for 45 minutes, twice a day at school opening and closing times.
 
• Signage on the Westgate Street junctions with Broadway Market, Mare Street and Sheep Lane will inform drivers of the restrictions.
 
• Cameras will be used to enforce the restrictions.
 
• Vehicles contravening the traffic order will be automatically issued a penalty charge notice.
 
• If approved, the trial should be implemented by January 2018.
 
• The trial will run for 9 months.
 
• After the trial, a decision will be made on whether to make it permanent
 
Bus gate
This is a key element of the School Street and is needed to avoid traffic going around the school to the south. It would also be an effective way of restricting the number of vehicle movements or “rat runs” in the local area, with the exception of local buses and cycles. It would help to improve air quality and reduce emissions by significantly
reducing vehicular through traffic. This area is one of many neighbourhoods in Hackney that experiences a high number of vehicles using local roads to bypass the main road network for a quicker through route in and out of Hackney.
 
The timings for the Bus Gate will be subject to this consultation.
 
How will it work?
The junction of Lansdowne Drive and Trederwen Road will only be accessible by
pedestrians, local buses and cyclists.
 
• The bus gate could operate all day or at set times, subject to this consultation. The route will be opened up to general traffic outside the hours of operation.
 
• Signage on the Lansdowne Drive junctions with Broadway Market and Trederwen Road will inform drivers of the restrictions.
 
• Camera enforcement will be used to enforce the restrictions on unauthorised vehicles entering the Bus Gate during the times of operation.
 
• Unauthorised vehicles contravening the traffic order will be automatically issued a penalty charge notice.
 
Richmond Road
Residents have raised concerns about the volume of traffic and the difficulty to
move through particular intersections on Richmond Road.
 
Surveys show there are a number of routes heavily used by traffic to bypass the main road network for a quicker through route in and out of the borough.
 
Vehicles travel in a broadly east-west direction between the City and the A12, and primarily consist of non-local traffic.
 
Over 700 motor vehicles have been recorded travelling through Richmond Road between 5pm and 7pm on a weekday.
 
Earlier this year 66% of respondents supported a proposal to reduce east-west traffic flows by closing Darnley Road and Loddiges Road / St Thomas’ Square to through traffic. Construction is now underway and will be completed by February 2018.
 
To further reduce through traffic in the area we are proposing a banned ‘left turn’ onto Richmond Road from Mare Street during the hours of operation of the bus gate and school street.
 
The Council would also wish to work with local residents to identify a scheme or options to reduce the traffic further and will be arranging meetings to discuss this.
 
 

What happens next

Your feedback will help us to reach a decision on whether to proceed with these proposals. The results will be available at http://hackney.gov.uk/school-streets
Should the Council agree to proceed with these proposals, residents will receive a letter to inform them about the start date for the scheme. Public notices advising the changes will be displayed in the street.

Areas

  • London Fields

Audiences

  • Business
  • Residents
  • Children

Interests

  • Traffic and transportation