Multi-million pound road investment kicks off (From Streatham Guardian)

Multi-million pound road investment kicks off in Lambeth

2:00pm Monday 1st October 2012 in News By Alice Foster, Reporter

Lambeth’s biggest ever effort to improve roads has begun, despite complaints it includes one too many new 20mph speed zones.

The council’s £20m highways investment project aims to improve 130 roads and pavements by 2014 as well as helping clean up streets and reducing traffic.

Work is already underway on a new 20mph zone from Knight’s Hill and Norwood Road to Leigham Court Road.

But resident Colin Fenn said Lambeth Council had adopted a 'one-size-fits-all' approach which was being used without proper public consultation.

Mr Fenn said: "Everybody wants safer streets but are 20 mph zones the right solution for every bit of residential street?

"In our area here, the accident rate is very low. You have got to question whether that is the best use of the money."

The Knight’s Hill project involves planting 85 trees while Broxholm Road, Glennie Road, St Julian’s Farm Road and Leaf Grove will be resurfaced from mid-November.

Road resurfacing and improvements, costing £12.5million, are due to be completed by 2014 and £7million will be spent on improving street appearance, reducing traffic and other schemes.

Councillor Pete Robbins, Lambeth’s cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: "Residents have told us that they want us to make their streets safer, cleaner, and greener, and we are delivering.

"The new zone will make streets safer, encourage more walking and cycling, improve visibility and accessibility for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users and improve the environment."

Lambeth Council spokesperson said they had been working with residents to make consultation more of a two-way process.

She said: “We no longer want residents to feel that plans are ‘being done to them’ but instead that they are actively contributing to improvements planned for their local area and their views are being listened to.

“The consultation in Knights Hill showed 76 per cent support from residents for a 20 mph zones to make the roads safer and quieter."