Councillors are being asked to scrap work on a pilot low-traffic neighbourhood scheme because it does not have residents’ support.
Elements of the Hanover and Tarner Liveable Neighbourhoods are expected go forward despite work coming to a halt on the wider project.
Instead, Brighton and Hove City Council’s Transport and Sustainability Committee members are being asked to back improvements to crossings in Elm Grove at Hampden Road, de Montford Road and Bonchurch Road.
Councillors are also being asked to back the development and delivery of designs to upgrade the Elm Grove and Queen’s Park Road junction.
Officials will be asked to assess the crossing point at the Queen’s Park Road, Egremont Place and West Drive junction and consider introducing vehicle-activated speed signs.
If the committee backs these proposals, then the council’s Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration Committee will be asked to approve reallocating £400,000 from the £1 million budget towards these improvements.
The £1 million was allocated from the council’s Carbon Neutral Fund.
A group of residents first asked the council to consider setting up a low-traffic neighbourhood in June 2020.
The scheme’s supporters held a presentation with Waltham Forest councillors where a low-traffic neighbourhood is already in place. The council later held public meetings and a consultation.
A report to the committee said that there were 1,200 responses from 1,100 households to the nine-week consultation from July to September last year.
Residents made 3,900 comments about the proposed pilot scheme, most related to concerns about traffic being displaced into Elm Grove, Queen’s Park Road, Egremont Place and Bentham Road.
The report said: “The consultation results indicate that there were considerable local concerns about the potential effects of the measures, especially regarding the displacement of traffic on to other roads in the area and the impacts on local access.
“Concerns were also raised about the possibility of increased danger around schools and nurseries.
“The consultation has, therefore, not shown overriding support for the scheme as was sought in the committee decision made in March 2023 which refers to a scheme which has ‘buy-in from residents’.
“Technical analysis also indicated that delays would be likely on key routes.
“In overall terms, it is therefore not considered appropriate to continue with the development of the scheme but that some planned and prioritised measures in Elm Grove are delivered and that some measures in Queen’s Park Road are assessed within the council’s Safer, Better Streets prioritisation framework.”
Oh dear!
Ex councillor Hills will be upset.
The LTN scheme that was the final torpedo in the Green Ekection campaign. Losing all 3 councillors in Hanover was the biggest and clearest mandate to end the scheme.
Improvements to Elm Grove?
Put the car parking back on the great swathes of empty unused pavement sections between the trees, clear the cars off the road and put a cycle lane uphill on Elm Grove with the retrieved space.
Yes Paul. Completely agree.
I walk up and down Elm Grove often. Cyclists (not all, but some!) hurtle down the pavement at great speed and can be very rude if, as a pedestrian, I am ‘in their way’.
It feels really unsafe. The parked cars were far more safe!
It’s got all the makings of a total cock up as per usual!!!