Save Putney High Street survey analysis

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1. How clean is Putney High Street?

a. Very greasy and dirty 240 50.6%
b. Somewhat greasy and dirty 168 35.4%
c. Passably clean 60 12.7%
d. Very clean 6 1.3%
e. Don't know 0.0%
f. No response provided
474 474

2. Do you support Labour's plan to repave the entire High Street with York paving, just like Wandsworth High Street has been?

a. Yes 372 78.5%
b. No 66 13.9%
c. Don't know 36 7.6%
d. No response provided
474 474

3. The Tories recently passed up the chance to introduce street washing machines to our town centres. Labour would introduce street washing because we think our town centres should be as clean as possible.

Do you support Labour's plan to introduce street washing?
a. Yes 408 86.1%
b. No 30 6.3%
c. Don't know 24 5.1%
d. No response provided 12
474 474

4. There always seem to be bags of rubbish on the pavements at all hours of the day. Labour would increase the number of rubbish collections along Putney high Street every day.

Are you happy with the regularity of rubbish collection?
a. Yes 66 13.9%
b. No 366 77.2%
c. Don't know 42 8.9%
d. No response provided
474 474

5. There's less space for pedestrians because of all the clutter the Tory council has allowed on the pavements: needless signposts when signs could go on lamp-posts, bollards, the car-park sign outside McDonalds, the barriers to which bikes end up locked, reducing pavement space even further, phone boxes, control boxes and much more besides. Councils like Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea are clearing away this sort of clutter to give pedestrians more space and to improve the appearance of the street scene. Labour would like to do the same in Putney.

Do you agree with our plan?

a. Yes 402 84.8%
b. No 36 7.6%
c. Don't know 36 7.6%
d. No response provided
474 474

6. Fly-posting on lamp-posts, railings and derelict shops really brings down the quality of the street-scene. We'd coat all the tactile surfaces (lamp-posts, traffic lights and the like) with a special anti-fly-posting coating. We'd also get the utilities to do the same with their control boxes.

Is this a good idea?

a. Yes 438 92.4%
b. No 12 2.5%
c. Don't know 24 5.1%
d. No response provided
474 474

7. Other borough town centres like Clapham Junction and Tooting have benefited from town centre patrollers who have cut street crime by up to a third, deter
littering and help with public enquiries.

Labour would introduce patrollers to Putney High Street which would add about £5 to Council Tax - do you support our plan?

a. Yes 324 68.4%
b. No 90 19.0%
c. Don't know 60 12.7%
d. No response provided
474 474

8. We think the run-down Putney Station needs improving. The ticket machines should be inside, making space for pedestrians on this busy stretch, and the kiosk would be better facing out for everyone to use. The station also needs a lift for the elderly and disabled.

Do you support Labour's plan to work with Network Rail to improve Putney Station?

a. Yes 438 91.3%
b. No 30 6.3%
c. Don't know 12 2.5%
d. No response provided
480 480

9. Labour would like to set up a public Inquiry so that everyone with ideas - whatever they are - about improving the High Street can have their say and we as a community can have a big discussion about this problem.

Do you support holding a public inquiry?

a. Yes 378 79.7%
b. No 60 12.7%
c. Don't know 36 7.6%
d. No response provided
474 474

10a. Have the recently-installed traffic lights at the junction of Chelverton Road that were supposed to improve traffic flow by allowing buses to turn into the garage quicker, cut congestion or worsened it?

a. Cut congestion 36 7.6%
b. Worsened congestion 114 24.1%
c. Made no difference 78 16.5%
d. Don't know 246 51.9%
e. No response provided
474 474

10b Would you therefore support removing these lights?

a. Yes 114 24.1%
b. No 90 19.0%
c. Don't know 258 54.4%
d. No response provided 12
474 474

11a. What about the recently-installed traffic lights further up Putney Hill at the junction of Chartfield Avenue.

Have they cut congestion or worsened it?

a. Cut congestion 60 12.5%
b. Worsened congestion 84 17.5%
c. Made no difference 48 10.0%
d. Don't know 282 58.8%
e. No response provided 6

11b Would you therefore support removing these lights?

a. Yes 78 16.7%
b. No 90 19.2%
c. Don't know 294 62.8%
d. No response provided 6
468 468

12. In the long term, one of the ways of reducing traffic in Putney would be to relocate the bus garage from Chelverton Road elsewhere.

Do you think it would be worthwhile opening discussions with Transport for London about this?

a. Yes 366 77.2%
b. No 96 20.3%
c. Don't know 6 1.3%
d. No response provided 6
474 474

13. We think that setting standards for shop-fronts, and having a common theme running along the High Street will improve the identity of the area, enhance the shopping experience and help attract traders to Putney.

Do you support our shop front improvement scheme, which will provide grants to shop owners who work with us to improve the appearance of the High Street?

a. Yes 402 84.8%
b. No 36 7.6%
c. Don't know 36 7.6%
d. No response provided
474 474

14. Do you agree with us that the overall quality, diversity and attractiveness of shops in the High Street has declined over recent years?

a. Yes 420 88.6%
b. No 30 6.3%
c. Don't know 24 5.1%
d. No response provided
474 474

15. Part of the reason for this is that Tory council town centre planning policies have encouraged the wrong type of establishments into the High Street: arcades and "dime stores", and allowed too many of the same shop usages, like coffee bars to dominate the area, driving smaller retailers out.

Do you support Labour's review of the council's town centre planning policies?

a. Yes 420 88.6%
b. No 18 3.8%
c. Don't know 36 7.6%
d. No response provided
474 474

16. The handful of market stalls up by St Mary's Church and in Felsham Road are very popular, and suggest that there's a market for a market in Putney.

Would you like the Council to find space to expand and encourage a larger market, like we used to have in Putney?

a. Yes 444 94.9%
b. No 18 3.8%
c. Don't know 6 1.3%
d. No response provided

Comments received - Members of the public were also able to give their own feedback or ideas to improve Putney High Street. Such comments as were left are reproduced here; with names removed to protect confidentiality. The views expressed below do not represent Labour Party views.

" The bland homogenous nature of the High Street has less to do with issues of littering and cracked pavement and more to do with the simple economics of commercial rent inflation. Freeholders in the area are squeezing out independent retailers and leaving the way clear for the chains with deeper pockets to move in.
The authorities probably can do little to subvert these economics, but could always cut independent operators of shops and restaurants some slack when it comes to rates"
Anonymous respondent


"Pedestrians only on the High Street - Saturday PM to Monday AM. Traffic redirected in south to Upper Rochmond Road and north to Lower Richmond Road or Putney Bridge Road"
Anonymous respondent

"These are all great ideas but I shudder to think how much they will cost! Whilst I am in favour of some improvement, I don't want to see a significant rise in my Council Tax, so would be willing to sacrifice some of these improvements accordingly. For me the worst issues are the appalling traffic and dirty streets so I'd like these to be prioritised."
Resident of Westleigh Avenue

"Would like to see wider pavements, narrowing the road to the minimum to allow one lane of traffic in each direction, and bike lanes, both for cyclists and to provide a buffer between pedestrians and traffic. Entrance to the station is a disaster, with station ticket machines, a busy bus stop and 2 flower shops all blockling the
same bit of pavement"
Resident of Kersfield Road

"Shop choice is appalling and far too many coffee shops. Area has deterioated appallingly which no doubt has resulted in falling sales for high street hence opportunity for low quality retailers to come in."
Resident of Chartfield Avenue

"Pedestrianise the High Street and send the traffic up Oxford Road instead!"
Anonymous resident

"Delivery vehicles prohibited from stopping at peak times"
Resident of Clarendon Drive

"The decline of the High street has gone into overdrive over the last year, decent shops closing down to be replaced by temporary shops selling cheap rubbish, Putney needs to attract good quality independent shops selling high end goods ( like Fulham Rd). The only way to do this is to make the street more attractive to retailers and shoppers alike, clean the place up, remove the 100's of signs and other useless street fittings, be more selective over which shops are allowed to open? why do we need another sports shop? how many more coffee shops can the High street support?"
Resident of Kersfield Road

"I don't think the coffee shops are a problem, but the ' pound shops' certainly are. the station looks appalling and the high street is filthy. we have lived in putney for 3 years and have noticed the high street decline in that time - it is littered with fag ends and chewing gum, the shop fronts are dirty and the street furniture and
lights look shabby and are a horrible tacky shade of blue - the traffic and fumes are terrible and the variety of shops could be improved - as a local i would rather shop in the high street wherever possible"
Resident of Fawe Park Road

"The number of people cycling in London doubles every 5 years. Most Hammersmith and Fulham improvement schemes ( King street and fulham town centre) have reduced the number of cycle parking spaces or reduced the width of the road making cycling more dangerous. Putney is a very narrow high street. Proper bike parking ( for double the current number of bikes) must be on corners and side streets. Narrowing the road will force elderly bikers onto the pavement or slow traffic down as it won't be able to overtake bikes going up the hill."
Anonymous resident

"I would like to see the high street closed off and paved."
Resident of Harwood Court, Upper Richmond Road

"We need to encourage people to stop using their cars. Putney high street is not consumer friendly maybe we should look at ways of making it pedestrianised over the weekends or at least 10-4. I find it very difficult to shop, as you cannot get across the road."
Anonymous resident

"It has not gone unnoticed by my friends and family that the high street shops have been replaced by pound shops and arcades- both of which are generally no use to families in the area. It means that we have to drive out of Putney to get essentials that we once just had to walk to. In fact a number of friends have decided
to move as the area gets shabbier and the house prices rise! I also agree with your statement on the filthy state of the pavements- why are these never cleaned?
Let's have a regular Farmers Market organised- we used to live in Pimlico and the weekly market there was such a success."
Resident of Malbrook Road

"The high st has really diminished in the last 2 years since I have lived there. I find the store variety terrible now, which forces me to shop elsewhere. Please help bring the life bak into the High St.
Anonymous resident

"why are the ticket machines outside putney station never working, and why are there only three?! It is so busy there in the morning, people often have to queue outside blocking the pavement and getting wet when it rains. Something must be done about the quality of shops in the high street, since the Exchange has opened lots of good quality shops have gone and been replaced by coffee shops, pound shops and arcades, there must be a way of introducing proper shops back into the high street. The traffic seems to have become a lot worse over the last few years."
Resident of Bendemeer Road

The amount of traffic on the High St is a real issue for encouraging good retailers and customers to come (
and stay) at the High St. A lot of the traffic on the High St is caused by people wanting to get to/from North of the River to then go out on the A3. There needs to be a way in getting traffic to bypass Putney High St.
Why not aim to stop traffic on the High St althogether? Why not have a tunnel under the High St?....this has been done in other countries....turning the whole street into an area where pedestrians can roam and shop at their leisure."
Resident of Bangalore Street

My main gripes are:
1 - The narrowness of the pavements ( made worse by unnecessary or badly sited street furniture) which makes walking down the High Street an ordeal rather than a pleasure. York paving and regular cleaning would be a huge boost. A dangerous pinch point is outside Foxtons ( jct High Street/Upper Richmond Rd) where at even mildly busy times people get crushed against bicycles or against railings, stranding them dangerously on the Upper Richmond Rd. Putney will never be High St Ken but removing clutter and using quality materials there has given the area a pleasant, classy feel.

2 - There are barely any individual local shops left in the High Street - and Upper Richmond Road near E
Putney station is going the same way. Wall-to-wall plasticfronted chains have robbed Putney of its charm. There is no butcher, no greengrocer etc.

3 - I no longer have a car but the Hill and High Street seem to be permanently congested. There is no point waiting for a north-bound bus at the top of the high street because it's quicker to walk to the bridge.
Resident of St John's Avenue also, please get whoever to enforce the yellow box at the top of the High Street - abuse of it exacerbates traffic problems. also buses create jams outside the station, when changeover drivers don't turn up, so it becomes a bus park. also the pavements could be made a
fraction wider on both sides, they are too narrow at the moment, and it would not need to constrict traffic volume of flow, as it is single each way only. also please consider low rate introductory rents/leases for
shops, to encourage independent retailers, for a greater healthier retailer mix, and then we can have fewer coffee shops, a sensible balance. also, yes to the redev of the Iceland block, and that could be such a
great mixed use scheme, for shop units of all sizes, a market space, even more short term parking, subterranean and on top, to encourage shoppers to come to Putney - short term parking can attract the shoppers we need."
Resident of Woodborough Road

" putney high st is coffee shops, estate agents and discount stores. it should be like a mini richmond, its more like a mini croydon. limiting the number of each type of business is a step forward. do we really need so many bric a brac shops"
Resident of Ormonde Court, Upper Richmond Road

"Get rid of those horrible ' tat' shops and get people to act by boycotting the rubbish shops."
Resident of Jeptha Road

"putney will never attract more ' glomourous' shops as there are large central shopping areas near by
( wimbledon, wansdworth, kingston, richmond) and with the king's road five minute away clothes shops will find it hard to survive. putney should be aiming to have a ' village' atmoshpere - the range of restaurants is
exceptional but we need more locally focused shops and services. cutting congestion should be the mian priority. I think moving the bus depot is a superb idea ( the number of busses on the high street is rediculous). another big problem is that battersea bridge is still closed and hammersmith bridge has a
size limit, forcing delivery traffic to use putney bridge and high street. additionally, the phasing of the lights by the bridge ( junction of high street and LRR) is a joke - you only have to stand and watch for a few minutes to see how priorities could be improved."
Resident of Farlow Road

"These actions need to happen now, how long muct we live in this quagmire called Putney ' CHAV' Street. It attracts crime and the wrong type people to Putney. A change in the facade to the Cinema is also warranted."
Resident of Lacy Road

" having moved from near Northcote Road, I have been shocked by the low quality of the High Street and it's dreadful appearance.BHS frontage is also appalling - it too looks like a discount store. I do not understand why such effort of improvement has been made whilst Putney High St has slipped ever down."
Resident of Lytton Grove

"Ban all cycling on pavements. Who will stop this?Never police in sight, certainly not walking."
Resident of Carlton Drive

" There are a couple of really simple steps that I think could help with congestion, these are from my observations as a resident of the high street:
1)Put cameras on the two box junctions ( the one at Lacy Road and the High Street and the one that joins Putney Bridge Road and the High Street) to prevent people blocking the junctions and also extend the yellow boxing over the new pedestrian crossing as this is so frequently blocked by cars as to be almost useless, which is a shame because it was such a sensible installation.
2)I so regularly see the traffic wardens that patrol the high street ignore completely people stopping for McDonalds, at the cash points etc. which causes chaos all the time.
3)Negotiate with the shops that deliveries are to be taken after 9pm at night where no rear access is available to the shop - this would cut congestion on the high st considerably.
4)Require charities that canvass on the high street to limit their collectors - between the Body Shop and the Waitrose entrance to the Exchange yesterday I was stopped three times by Action Aid workers, one of whom even attempted to stop me getting to my front door on my way back - this issue is getting totally out of control."
Resident of Putney High Street

" I think that with the heavy traffic on Putney High street, improvement will be an uphill battle"
Resident of Felsham Road

"more variety of shops is essential. smarten up the UR rd west of the high st - east is now much better despite estate agents ! maybe by puting in parking bays like on the east side"
Resident of Ulva Road

"Definitely agree on the pavements and fixing that will immediately give a lift to the high street. I also think that the residents should have more of a say regarding the diversity and types of shops allowed into Putney."
Resident of Henty Walk

"Putney Station is a sorry excuse for a station. Why is the taxi stand in the middle of the very wide and busy road? No wonder it's empty. Why such a pathetic amount of pavement space outside and inside the station? If it was at all possible, I'd have the entire station building rebuilt. The new french market outside
Putney Wharf is a start, it's the only reason I still go there. I now try and avoid Putney High Street when possible. I now walk from my home near Putney Heath to East Putney Station or Putney Common for Route 22 to go into London, because congestion is too high along the high street, and Putney Station is unbearable.
Also, I do my main shopping in Wandsworth or Sheen instead of Putney, even though it's further, because Wandsworth has had it's major revamp, unlike Putney with has just sunk to an all time low. Hopefully Labour can solve these problems. It's a wonder why Conservatives can't see how rubbish Putney High Street is to even think about a revamp."
Resident of Tildesley Road

"We have lived in Norroy Rd in Putney for 14 years and are appalled at the decline in shop quality - in particular the replacement on the corner of our road of the bank by a Casino arcade!"
Resident of Norroy Road

" A lot of thee stuff above looks like anti-Conservative point-scoring; the only significant question concerns the quality of shops in Putney High St, which I agree has seriously declined of recent years. But htere is one thing I want to add: you don't mention cycle parking, which is very poor in PHS. Improving cycle provision would be one way of reeducing car use which can only be good - and I wish you'd been a bit more radical in suggesting closing PHS to through traffic in working hours, that woudl do mor ethan anyhting to improve the environment there."
Resident of Stanbridge Road

" I am ashamed of Putney High Street and apalled by the lack of diversity and quality in the shops. No fishmonger, no greengrocer and a butcher only in Lower Richmond Road. I now frequently drive to Chiswick to do my shopping. How absurd is that?"
Resident of Salvin Road

"More regular street sweeping to clear debris. Look at ways to widen pavements."
Resident of Putney High Street

" What larger market? We have lived in Putney for 32 years and never seen one. The real reason for the decline in the High Street is that people have moved out of Putney because of aircraft noise. The people that are left are the old, poor and transient - they dont use nice shops, just basic ones and they don't care what they look like either. They contribute to litter and filth follows loss of pride in place."
Resident of Bendemeer Road

" My numbner one gripe is litter (and as someone who walks along the high st each morning early) the amount of discarded alcohol debris ( bottles/cans) and the piles of vomit! Secondly is the apalling arcade shops also traffic I have 3 children and live near the high street - they now prefer to get a bus to Richmond or Kingston to shop - what a shame for our local traders!"
Resident of Dealtry Road

"The high street is terrible now; lack of diversity of shops and no green grocers, butchers or fishmongers."
Resident of Norroy Road

" Re Putney Station. Is there any way of building second stairways down to platforms 2, 3 and 4? At present the nimber of passengers leaving trains in the evening rush hour makes it very difficult for anyone going in the other direction."
Resident of Alton Road

March 31, 2006