Forum Topic

Paul CampbellI think the majority of residents complaining about extra pollution on roads beside schools, are complaining about the A316.You see, your fantastic Idea of pushing all traffic on to main roads to create your gated community. Has not only kept through traffic on the A316 but a lot of residents that live in the same area as you.So now we has a lot of extra traffic going passed two states schools and a private one. First of all, at certain times of the day there are stationary cars with engines running outside Chiswick School, and further down outside Cavendish Primary school, then a small residential complex for retired residents. That leads us on to St Mary's Convent nursing home.All these places are now receiving extra traffic noise and pollution, and all because you want to have a game of football with your kids in the street.Your one man crusade is starting to fall apart as we learn that Hammersmith and Fulham have carried out similar schemes as Hounslow, but have allowed the residents of the area much freer moment within the restrictions. So if one borough can do it, so can Hounslow.While we are on the subject of safer streets, its not just the streets that need to be made safer. LBOH pavements are a disgrace, and making it dangerous for residents using Mobility Scooters.Many pavements are so uneven, some even impassable, in fact a cyclist watch me get stuck on a badly maintained pavement that while driving over it the scooter bottomed out and I got stuck. with the cyclist help I was freed to go on my way. When I ventured that way a week later it hall been flattened, so I don't know who reported it. But around your are there are roads with no slopes, and with the height of those kerbs you cannot bump down them, so then you go searching for a slope for a garage, if you do find one a car is parked over it.So once again selfish people within the South Chiswick area as its called now, don't give a dam about a section of their community.I cannot get out of my road without using the road, that's not to bad as I use a Class 3 Scooter. but anyone with a Class 2 scooter would be breaking the law.So Hounslow buck up your ideas and sort your pavement out before stuffing us up with more restrictions     

Bernard Allen ● 1696d

It is extremely frustrating dealing with Hounslow Council because they KNOW that they are right (until they change their minds). The scheme has to apply 24/7 until its six days a week 8am to 7pm. It has to exclude drivers who live outside the area until it can include people living to the east of the A316. School Streets can only operate at school set down and pick up times on week days until they can run six days a week 8am to 7pm. Access to SOG will be monitored by ANPR camera until it is not. All traffic coming into the area may use Burlington Lane until that becomes the exclusive privilege of residents living north of the railway line and east of the A316. It is OK be flexible and innovative but these changes have all the appearance of being done in a blind panic when LBH suddenly realises that flaws that residents have been pointing out for many months are actually genuine gold-plated SNAFUs. This panic probably explains what happened when residents east of the A316 were suddenly and without any consultation or discussion allowed access from the A316 - but half the appropriate streets were 'inadvertently' missed off the list.The solution that has been obvious from the very beginning is to consult, consult and consult again. This may be time consuming but it is ultimately quicker, cheaper and far less soul destroying than than the slow torture we have all be subjected to. But of course Hounslow Council know that they are right ... because they are following the script given to them by TfL and the cycle lobby.With each iteration we end up with an already complex scheme being made even more complicated and many residents and visitors being left even more confused. It does not help when incorrect or misleading signage is erected and has to be replaced ... but hey that is another story.

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 1696d

"Indeed my point was to ask whether people found driving short distances that much more convenient, time-wise, than other means of transportation."Francis point taken. I do not mean to lecture BUT what Hounslow Council (and it would appear you) have missed is the public transport access level (PTAL) of the area of Chiswick south of the A4 is extremely low. Check it out for yourself. Just click on this link and punch in your post code https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/urban-planning-and-construction/planning-with-webcat/webcatOn a scale of 0 to 6 (six being the most accessible) almost the whole area is rated as 2 or lower. On balance a low PTAL score means that residents are much more dependent on access to cars.It was not my intention to suggest that those who do not own cars and/or do not drive are 'slackers'. Can we perhaps agree that those trying to fit many different activities into a given 24 hour period (through rain and shine and in sickness and in health) will often come to depend on their cars. This is of course a life style choice to a very great degree. Individual choices will be determined by many factors such as family circumstances, the time of year, the weather and personal health..There are of course many older people for whom their car is a life line and whose quality of life contracts significantly if they cannot drive (what to us appear)  short distances that it would be hard or impossible for them to walk. The impact of ULEZ on a number of older residents who have had to scrap their cars has been heart breaking.

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 1695d