03K Appendix H

Our vision for Loughborough Junction Our ultimate aim for Loughborough Junction is for it to become a destination in its own right; to be a place that is safe and pleasant for people to spend time in. At the moment Loughborough Junction is dominated by traffic – Loughborough Road sees an incredible 13,000 vehicles pass through on a typical weekday. In keeping with our priorities for the borough as a whole, we want to transform the area with open public spaces, safer conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, environmental improvements and a greater mix of retail outlets. This will make Loughborough Junction a place where people want to ‘be’, rather than just travel through. The police have lent their support to the scheme, pointing out that less through traffic on roads improves safety for residents, children and cyclists, with road closures also likely to reduce crime as back streets are usually used as escapes routes by criminals. We also want the new Loughborough Junction to be an area where businesses will thrive. There is huge potential for more shops and restaurants and I believe that trade can increase as the area becomes a more popular destination rather than a transport thoroughfare. Our transport officers – who have an excellent track record in delivering similar, award winning schemes - believe that closing certain roads in the area to traffic will help to achieve these aims; this is why we are proposing experimental closures as part of the on-going consultation for Loughborough Junction. The formal consultation will begin when the road closures come into force so that people will be able to give their views based on their actual experience and our officers will be able to monitor traffic flows in nearby areas and the impact on the wider road system. If it becomes clear that the road closures are causing unnecessary and serious problems in the area, we have the power to reopen the roads immediately. However, I am confident that the removal of traffic in the area will help us create a better physical and social environment and enhance the community in Loughborough Junction, making it a happier and safer place to live. Five key outcomes for Loughborough Junction - Loughborough Junction to become a distinct destination rather than a busy through road - Safe, attractive streets for cyclists, pedestrians and school children - Clean and pleasant public space for residents - Additional and varied businesses in the area e.g. shops and restaurants - Less crime and a safer, stronger community FAQs What road closures have been proposed? We are proposing an experimental closure of Loughborough Road just north of its junction with Ridgeway Road. This would result in a huge reduction in motor vehicles using this area – our studies show that it is currently used by around 13,000 vehicles each week day. This will enable us to change the way the space works to benefit businesses, pedestrians and cyclists and create a space to hold outdoor events. Additional road closures are necessary so that motor traffic does not use the next available roads either side of Loughborough Road. It is therefore proposed that the following roads are also part of the experimental road closures (please also refer to the map attached) - Barrington Road - Calais Street - Padfield Road - Lilford Road - Gordon Grove Can’t the improvements take place without the need to close roads? While it’s true that the public space improvements could be introduced without road closures, the high volumes of through traffic using Loughborough Road would dominate the new town centre meaning there would be less scope for public space enhancements. The proposed closures of additional roads in the surrounding area are necessary so that traffic is not simply displaced into the roads either side of Loughborough Road. The closures fit with the Council’s manifesto commitments for a cleaner and greener borough – and to be the best borough for cyclists. What is an experimental Traffic Management Order? An experimental Traffic Management Order (TMO) can be used by a local authority to assess the impact of any changes made to the way a highway operates – in this case the closure of Loughborough Road and surrounding roads. A statutory consultation will begin at the same time as the experimental TMO and must continue for a minimum of six months. This gives the new highway arrangement time to settle down and also sufficient time for people to form their own opinion on the changes. After the six month statutory consultation, the council will assess all the representations it has received and take a decision on the way forward. The Council can also discontinue the experimental measures at any time. How will the impact of the closures on other roads be measured? It is likely that some roads will experience an increase in motor traffic. Traffic counts were taken at over 50 different locations in and around the project area in January 2015 and these provide a reliable baseline of current traffic volumes and speeds. Traffic counts will be repeated at the same locations after the closures and the new traffic pattern has been established. This will allow us to assess the impact of the closures. Should it become clear that a road has experienced a significant increase in motor traffic, additional mitigation may be proposed. Will road closures lead to more congestion elsewhere in the borough? Most of the traffic will find alternative routes through the borough; however from November this year all council-controlled roads will have a 20mph speed limit, which will ease traffic congestion. Research indicates that at slower speeds vehicles flow more smoothly through junctions. As such, within an urban environment, 20mph should help to improve traffic flow and, as a result of reduced acceleration and braking, 20mph may help to reduce fuel consumption and associated emissions. Why not carry out traffic modelling? It is difficult to predict with any degree of accuracy how traffic will be dispersed because the closures cover such a wide area; a view that has been confirmed by an experienced modeller from TfL. Will the emergency services be affected? No. With the exception of Padfield Road, the proposed closures will be enforced through signage meaning the roads will remain open to vehicles on emergency calls. On Padfield Road, the closure will be enforced with a central set of barriers, which will prevent vehicles passing all the way through, however emergency services will still be able to gain access to the road from both ends and it is not used as a through road on emergency routes anyway. All emergency services will be made aware of the closures and informal discussions with the emergency services have resulted in no objections to the proposals. How will the road closures affect crime in the area? Inspector Dan Rutland from the Met’s central cluster, which covers seven areas including Brixton and Clapham, has committed to putting extra police officers on the beat for the first three weeks of introducing the trail. Insp. Rutland stated that he has never known of any evidential link between the closure of residential roads to an increase in crime, in fact less through traffic on roads improves safety for residents, children and cyclists. How will this affect local businesses? A key objective of the project is to create the conditions to enable a new thriving town centre area in the heart of Loughborough Junction and encourage new businesses to start up. The shops in Loughborough Road may experience less passing trade from people in motor vehicles, however, this is may well be offset by an increase in cyclists and pedestrians using the route who may be more likely to stop. Cars will still be able to access businesses within the area. Some journeys may take longer (e.g. vehicles approaching from the south) but others will be unaffected (e.g. vehicles arriving from the north of Brixton Road). In response to concerns from local businesses, the location of proposed closures on Gordon Grove and Lilford Road have been changed. We will continue to speak with businesses in the area throughout the road closures. Have local residents been consulted? Extensive consultation has taken place in the Loughborough Junction area over recent years, including the Loughborough Junction Framework Plan that was published in July 2013. Moreover, the Council carried out a public consultation exercise between 22 September and 31 October. During this time five public events were held where residents/businesses had the opportunity to meet the design team. There was also an exhibition of the proposals in the Loughborough Centre and the proposals could be viewed on line. Leaflets advertising the consultation and how people could find out more were distributed to 10,991 addresses. Local ward councillors have been consulted regarding a petition raised by residents and initial concerns have been taken into account. What were the results of the consultation? It is clear from the consultation feedback that people want to see improvements to the public realm at the Coldharbour Lane/Loughborough Road junction. At the recent consultation on the public space improvements, the three most commonly used words to describe the Coldharbour Lane/Loughborough Road/Wyck Gardens area were: “Busy, Dangerous and Dirty.” 632 people completed the questionnaire: - 68% of residents supported a six month experimental closure on Loughborough Road. 29% did not. - 66% supported six month experimental closures on Barrington Road, Lilford Road, Gordon Grove, Calais Street and Padfield Road. 29% did not. - A majority of respondents with a postcode from within the consultation area (parts of SE5, SE24 and SW9) supported the experimental closures; 61% support for the Loughborough Road closure, and 58% for Barrington Road, Lilford Road, Gordon Grove, Calais Street and Padfield Road closures.

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