Lexton Gardens Speed Restrictions

Residents’ Petition for Traffic Calming Measures for Lexton Gardens SW12 0AY


Dear Councillors,

We, the undersigned residents, close associates and frequent users and friends  of Lexton Gardens, SW12 0AY, write to formally request that Lambeth Council take forward traffic-calming measures on our road as a matter of urgency.
 

Lexton Gardens is a short residential street of 26 households. It is home to families with young children, older residents, and pedestrians who use the road daily to access nearby nurseries and schools, including St Bede’s and The White House And Telferscot.

It should not function as a convenient cut-through for drivers travelling between New Park Road and Kings Avenue.
 
Our concern is real and immediate. We have already experienced near misses involving vehicles and pedestrians. Residents are increasingly worried that, without intervention, it is only a matter of time before a child or other pedestrian is seriously injured.
 
Several features of Lexton Gardens make it particularly hazardous.
 
First, the road has an S-shaped layout, which creates blind spots and poor sight lines for both drivers and pedestrians. 

Depending on where a person is standing or driving, it is not always possible to see clearly around the bend. This is especially dangerous on a residential road used by children.
 
Secondly, many properties have driveways, which means residents are regularly reversing in or out. Because there are fewer cars parked along the kerb, some drivers appear to treat the road as more open and wider than it really is. This encourages higher speeds and corner-cutting, despite the limited visibility.

Thirdly, the gradient of the road encourages acceleration, particularly from the New Park Road end. 

The overall effect is that vehicles can enter and travel along Lexton Gardens too quickly for the layout and character of the street.
 

The level of risk is increased further by the people who use the road every day. Many of our children are now of an age where they are beginning to walk to school independently. 

We also have younger children who are naturally less danger-aware, and some children with additional needs who may be more impulsive or less attentive around traffic. 

In addition, Lexton Gardens is used by many non-residents as a walking route to nearby schools and nurseries, meaning there is a regular flow of pedestrians at school-run times.

Residents are particularly concerned because drivers appear to use Lexton Gardens to avoid slower travel on the surrounding main roads. 

There are speed humps on New Park Road and Kings Avenue, but none on Lexton Gardens. 

This makes our road attractive to drivers seeking a smoother and quicker route, despite the fact that it is a  narrow residential street with limited visibility and high pedestrian use.
 
We do not want to wait for a serious injury or fatality before action is taken. We have had Pet Fatalities and the recent tragic death of a schoolgirl on Garrard’s Road has brought home to many local families just how devastating the consequences of road danger can be.
 
Residents of Lexton Gardens are united in wanting preventative action now, before a similar tragedy occurs on our own road.
 
We are not asking for speed humps. On a short road such as ours, they can create additional noise and vibration when vehicles fail to slow properly. 

In our view, a better and more proportionate solution would be alternating build-outs or carriageway narrowing, creating a layout that requires drivers to reduce speed and proceed with care.
 
This type of measure would  offer a number of important advantages. It would physically and psychologically encourage lower speeds, reduce the attractiveness of the road as a cut-through, improve pedestrian safety at blind sections of the street, avoid the repeated impact noise associated with speed humps, reduce wear on vehicles, and be less uncomfortable for cyclists. 

It would also preserve a more suitable route for emergency access than more aggressive vertical calming measures.
 
We therefore ask the Council to:
 
1. Arrange an urgent site visit to Lexton Gardens during term-time and school-run hours;

2. Carry out speed and traffic-volume monitoring on the road;

3. Assess the road specifically for traffic-calming measures suited to its layout and residential character;

4. Bring forward options for a scheme, with alternating build-outs or carriageway narrowing as the preferred starting point for consideration.
 

This petition is accompanied by a signature schedule setting out the house numbers, names and signatures of supporting residents, demonstrating clear and direct support from households on Lexton Gardens.

We are sending this letter not only to our ward councillors, but also copying it to the relevant Highways and Transport officers. 

We ask that it be formally logged as a resident request for investigation and action, including a site visit during school-run hours, speed monitoring and traffic-volume assessment.
 
We would be grateful for written confirmation that this request has been logged, together with the name of the responsible officer and the anticipated timetable for assessment.
 
Lexton Gardens is a short, narrow residential road used daily by children, families and pedestrians. It should be designed and managed as one.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
The Residents of Lexton Gardens, SW12 0AY