Southfield To Be A 20mph Zone

Local consultation showed strong support for speed limit

Southfield ward is to receive a 20-mph zone, it was announced this week.

The news comes after Lib Dem councillors met with Council Transport officers this week to discuss a ward-wide Road Safety Plan, based upon a consultation with W4 residents over the autumn months of 2013. The survey showed that about two-thirds of residents were in favour of reducing the traffic speed in the area.

The speed zone is the most notable of several changes vetted during the meeting. Other notable decisions include a motion to introduce a zebra crossing by Murco garage and a crossing near Fishers' Lane.

Councillors confirmed that each set of safety works will be done separately to reduce congestion, with the order based upon which works proved most popular with residents or would provide the most benefits to public safety.

Proposals were raised in the meeting based on a prior consultation with local residents. The consultation, which took place for four weeks in Autumn 2013, indicated that 69% of locals polled wanted to see a 20-mph zone in Southfield ward.

Councillors tried to involve all three local residents' associations, the Acton Green and Southfield Park Triangle Residents' Associations and the Bedford Park Society, in the consultation process. Comments from the associations were used in discussion with transport officers to amend the original safety plan for Southfield.

After the meeting, Councillor for Southfield Gary Malcolm (pictured above) underlined the traffic and safety benefits of the plan, as well as its low environmental cost: “The Liberal Democrats Councillors want to see both our roads safer and for congestion to be reduced. We have agreed to items of work that will give benefit to the area and suggested methods which would not require cutting down trees.”

A selection of the resolutions on road safety, other than the flagship 20 mph zone, can be seen below:

• A new raised table/zebra crossing at Murco garage and a crossing near to Fishers Lane are included among improvements due to happen as early as this month, due to "high support from residents" consulted.

• New speed humps are to be created on Acton Lane, Beaconsfield Road, Kingswood Road and Cunnington Street.

• Some areas will have increased parking due to reductions in the lengths of some double yellow lines

• Councillors requested that, after recent accidents there, officers agree to look again at the Antrobus Road / Cunnington Street junction. This proposal were strongly supported by the Acton Green Residents' Association (AGRA).

• AGRA also lobbied to reduce “Stop & Shop” parking bays on Cunnington Street from 30 mins to 15 mins, and were supported by local councillors. However, the Council's transport officers are to look at whether residents local to Marie’s Store are in favour.

• A new raised table will be erected at the Southfield Road / Carlton Road junction. It is hoped that this measure will stop some of the speeding in the area. Existing crossings on The Avenue / Bedford Road and Steele Road / Acton Lane junctions will also be raised. All three of these measures received more than 60% positive backing in the public consultation.

(Picture of Andrew Steed, one of the Southfield Councillors who discussed road safety measures with Council Transport officers)

January 9, 2014