Hounslow Council has written in correspondence with residents that it will object if Hammersmith and Fulham introduces restrictions to Weltje Road
Plans to restrict access to a West London road to anyone from outside the borough have come up against stiff opposition from a neighbouring council over fears the traffic will be displaced.
A Hounslow Council officer in correspondence with residents and councillors revealed the local authority would oppose Hammersmith and Fulham’s proposed changes to Weltje Road if an order is published.
The potential traffic order, which Hammersmith and Fulham Council has confirmed it is considering, would use ANPR cameras to prevent drivers from other boroughs using the road on a trial basis.
Cllr Nicole Trehy, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Travel, said the trial will improve safety, and that any learnings can be shared with Hounslow Council. Hounslow was approached for comment.
Weltje Road is a popular cut-through between the A4 and King Street by the border with Hounslow.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council says it is used by more than 2,000 vehicles a day, an estimated 90 per cent of which are from outside the borough.
As has previously been reported locally, Hammersmith and Fulham Council is proposing introducing a traffic order to restrict access to Weltje Road.
The measure would largely mirror a scheme already in place at Rivercourt Road, which also connects the A4 with King Street. At Rivercourt residents can also get access for visitors, as can local shops and businesses.
The proposal has however received a backlash over concerns it will push traffic onto other local roads, such as Chiswick Lane.
A petition run by the Hounslow Conservatives noted that for some drivers, from areas such as Chiswick, Acton and Ealing, Weltje Road is “their only convenient route onto the eastbound A4” at that point.
“This is an unreasonable approach that disregards the needs of local motorists from outside LBHF’s [London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham] boundary who have used this road for decades,” the group claimed.
The petition also referenced concerns Hammersmith and Fulham officers did not consult their Hounslow counterparts about the trial.
Local publication Chiswick W4 revealed an investigation by Hounslow Conservative Councillor Linden Grigg found a lack of evidence of cross-borough engagement, despite the feared impact on other routes.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has since seen correspondence from a Hounslow officer sent to councillors and residents this week reiterating that concerns are being raised with Hammersmith and Fulham.
It stated: “We have expressed our concerns not only for our Boroughs [sic] roads (mainly Chiswick Lane) but also the implications we believe for their own road network north of King Street where we expect a significant increase in traffic.”
The email continued to note that Hounslow has submitted an objection to the traffic order introduced for Rivercourt Road, and that if one is published for Weltje Road, “we will be formally objecting to this”.
Cllr Stewart Waine, a Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative representative for Munster, and Shadow Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Travel, said: “LBHF seems to have run roughshod over the wishes of the majority of residents on Weltje Road itself, while failing to consult or even update the stakeholders who would be most affected across the border in LBH [London Borough of Hounslow] as a courtesy.”
Cllr Waine also claimed Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which is Labour-led, has started “an unnecessary war” with two local Labour MPs, Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith and Chiswick) and Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton).
This characterisation has been disputed by both MPs, with Mr Slaughter telling the LDRS his office has simply passed on concerns from residents “about how the scheme will operate and how they will judge its effectiveness”.
A Hammersmith and Fulham Labour spokesperson said: “We are absolutely staggered that Hammersmith and Fulham Conservatives are putting the interests of motorists in Hounslow, whose streets are already protected from rat-running, ahead of the safety and wellbeing of residents and school children in our borough.”
Cllr Trehy said: “Twelve residential streets between Chiswick and Hammersmith Broadway were, historically, connected to the A4. Over the years, all have been closed off to make the streets quieter, safer and less polluted – apart from Rivercourt Road and Weltje Road. They had to remain open to allow buses to transport children to and from local schools.
“This, unfortunately, created heavy traffic, congestion and pollution, which has been exacerbated by sat nav guidance systems, on what should be quiet residential streets. Over 2,000 vehicles – more than 90 per cent of which are from outside the borough – now use Weltje as a cut-through every day.
“For many months, residents on Weltje have been asking for action to make their street safer for schoolchildren, walkers and cyclists, less congested and less polluted for the families who live there.”
Cllr Trehy added that with the advent of smart camera technology, “we have solutions”.
She said: “We can maintain access for buses to the local schools while also being able to offer the same benefits to residents in Rivercourt and Weltje that their neighbours in Chiswick streets have had for many years.
“To that end, earlier this year, a successful trial in Rivercourt was made permanent. We are now considering introducing a similar trial in Weltje to make this residential road safer – not a cut-through – and a nicer place to live.
“The smart camera technology also offers Hounslow Council the opportunity to reopen Chiswick streets, exclusively for their residents to access the A4, if they so wish. We would be happy to share our learnings and experience with Hounslow.”
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