Forum Topic

London Assembly backs residents over Church Street closure

This is obviously good news and very interesting that the Labour members appear to have all backed the motion. Along with the scathing report from Hounslow Council, that must mean TfL's plans for Hogarth Roundabout are dead in the water.What remains a mystery is why they suggested closing Church Street in the first place. I can't see how it helps the overall scheme but it looks like it is what has put an end to it.

Francis Rowe ● 47d16 Comments

It's a good question. My guess would be they looked at the data which showed relatively few vehicles using the Church Street exit. They therefore assumed there would be limited push-back not realising that many of the people affected were wealthy and powerful and very capable of marshalling arguments against the scheme. This was made easier because, as you say, the flaws were self-evident if you actually visited the area to have a look.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 33d

You may be right but that does beg the question, why did they propose it in the first place? The problems should have been self evident.

Francis Rowe ● 34d

Exactly. The fact that the yellow junction box is retained in this point means there is very little benefit from closing Church Street. There may be other factors we are missing but it seems to me that TfL could proceed with the plan without the need to shut off access here.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 35d

You are right, I'd assumed the yellow junction box would have been removed but it is still there. Thinking about it, it is still needed to prevent traffic coming from Dorchester Grove heading to the A316 getting blocked.

Francis Rowe ● 38d

That's a fair point but if you look at the detailed plans the yellow junction box across the top of the Church Street entrance is retained so vehicles using the filter lane to the A316 won't be able to block access to Church Street.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 40d

The documentation may not state it explicitly but isn't the assumption by TfL likely to be that there will be queues back from the A316 along the westbound A4 carriageway to Hogarth Roundabout and therefore vehicles wanting to enter Church Street will get stuck, blocking the flow of traffic going direct on the A4?

Francis Rowe ● 43d

Are you suggesting that the planning and development of our road network should be done on the cheap? If TfL get this wrong the consequences would be disastrous. The system appears to be working as it should, the consultation process has identified an issue which the traffic engineers didn't pick up on due to lack of local knowledge. The scheme is only dead if the Church Street closure is critical to its operation and there is nothing to indicate that this is the case in the documentation that TfL provided.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 44d

Millions no doubt.

Steve Taylor ● 45d

... and how much money did this original proposal cost to research?

Jim Lawes ● 45d

“ This is obviously good news …..and that must mean TfL's plans for Hogarth Roundabout are dead in the water.”Very good news indeed and yes, it’s now dead in the water. But all sensible people knew it couldn’t go ahead. It was proposed with false data.

Steve Taylor ● 45d

Unanimous support from the LA of a motion against a fictional scheme isn’t worth anything at all. It only proves none of them understand the scheme or the area. Roberts should be especially embarrassed. The Councillors probably didn’t read the motion before sharing it on social media. Either that or they have even less integrity and sense than I thought.

Paul Campbell ● 45d

The fact that all the members, including the Labour ones, backed it suggests that they don't share your view that it wasn't based on reality. With local councillors sharing the news on social media, a lack of fury about it seems lacking.

Francis Rowe ● 45d

The motion does not reflect the genuine concerns of the people who live in the area. Prince has come over from East London and totally botched it. Fair enough if he had actually put forward a motion based on reality but he hasn’t. If I were a local Councillor I’d be furious with him.

Paul Campbell ● 46d

It wasn't long ago there were supporters of the scheme on here citing the expertise of TFL's 'expert' transport planners.That seems been blown out the water does it not?

N V Brooks ● 46d

Paul, unless bendy fire engines, ambulances, lorries and hearses have been invented recently the motion does reflect the genuine concerns of people who live in this area.You are however perhaps missing the broader point here. This unanimous rejection by the London Assembly means that there is unity across the parties within the borough of Hounslow in opposing this scheme along with a rejection from the local Liberal Democrat AM, the local MP and the council's transport team.TfL nor any of the proposal's very small band of supporters has been unable to put together an argument in favour of closing Church Street which demonstrates a single benefit to anyone.

Francis Rowe ● 46d

Prince completely botched the motion and has made it very straightforward for Khan to reject it  on the grounds it clearly does not understand the actual plans or the fact that Chiswick Mall is a one way street eastbound! What a cock up.

Paul Campbell ● 47d