Hounslow Council has invited a small number of residents from Church Street, North Street, Park Road and the roads accessed by those streets to have their say on the planned closure of Church Street to vehicles. This is your opportunity to provide your view.
The Twickenham Road is heavily congested with 18,000 vehicles and cyclists using it every day and is already full to capacity according to Hounslow Council’s own traffic report.
The proposal to close Church Street will push up to 2,015 more vehicles onto the Twickenham Road and South Street during rush hour times, gridlocking the road and reducing pedestrian and cyclist visibility. It will also increase pollution in the area.
There is already significant local concern about traffic management on the Twickenham Road, including the use of roundabouts, the no-right turn from Spur Road onto the London Road, the Twickenham Road junction with Park Road and the junction at the bottom of Worton Road. Church Street is only one of the many roads affected by these issues.
Five schools (Smallberry Green, Isleworth Town, Gumley House, St Mary’s and the Blue School) and West Middlesex Hospital are located on this stretch of road.
The roads immediately adjoining the Twickenham Road (St John’s, Linkfield, Amhurst, the Teesdales, Worple, Algar, Byfield) are already subject to considerable rat running. With delays on the Twickeham Road and South Street expected to increase by 142% upon closure, even more frustrated drivers are likely to make their way onto our residential streets.
Whilst the emergency services make their way through most things, the gridlock will likely affect response times.
Hounslow Council has said that the proposal to close Church Street on 7 December is a “temporary trial” of 18 Months to see if road users change their “travelling habits”. But how can the parents and children of the five schools on these roads together with hospital staff and patients “change their traveling habits”? Local residents will still need to get about and people will still want to visit and use the amenities of Syon Park.
Hounslow Council has said that it will not stop the “trial” once they have started it but confirm that the closure will cause significant disruption.
Our argument is that Hounslow Council has to look at the area as a whole and take all of the above factors into consideration. Please show your support and sign this petition to make sure that your voice is heard.
