Greenwich consultation on the East Greenwich scheme closes with overwhelming rejection by local residents

A council consultation on extending a West Greenwich-style road scheme to East Greenwich has closed. It attracted more than 3,000 responses, with comments by residents and others overwhelmingly opposed to the council’s plans.
The East Greenwich plan would, like the Hills and Vales, cut through the area horizontally. Taking the railway line as what the council calls a “natural barrier”, there would be closures on Maze Hill, Vanbrugh Hill, Halstow Road and Westcombe Hill. All except Halstow Road would be enforced by cameras rather than modal filters (vehicle blockades). The use of ANPR cameras is in deference to the emergency services, who oppose the all-modal filter Hills and Vales scheme as creating unacceptable risks.
Many survey respondents – including some of the minority who agreed in principle with the proposals – wanted residents to be excluded from the restrictions and able to drive through the cameras. The council’s proposals would not allow that, although it is happening elsewhere in London.
There were widespread accusations by respondents that the consultation was biased and skewed towards getting the council the answers wanted.
The survey questionnaire contained no option for straightforwardly saying ‘no’ to the council’s plans.
Reasons given for rejecting the proposals include:

• even more congestion on Trafalgar Road and Blackheath Hill, which residents say has been increased by Hills and Vales.
• a split neighbourhood, forcing residents who need their cars into long detours, including having to use the busy Blackwall Tunnel approach road for local journeys.
• concerns about the knock-on impact for Charlton and Blackheath Standard where a planned bus-only closure on Old Dover Road threatens access to shops and Shooters Hill .
• Fears that increased traffic on busy roads outside the controlled area would make air quality worse and the environment around primary schools and nurseries. The Council has long resisted installing an agreed sound barrier to protect Invicta Road School and Siebert Road which border the A102 Blackwall Tunnel approach. 
• Insufficient consideration of the needs of people with disabilities, the elderly and others who needed to use cars for local journeys.
• The impact on emergency service response times, particularly on Trafalgar Road.​

The Council tried to blame the pandemic and ‘rat-runners’ for increases in traffic in East Greenwich. But local people campaigned from the start last August against displacement from the West Greenwich scheme, which caused severe disruption and congestion. Inner London traffic elsewhere fell, according to official figures. Vanbrugh Hill and Maze Hill continue to experience long traffic queues, months after Councillors and officials claimed it would all quiet down.
Council claims that ‘through traffic’ will be excluded by the barriers, but that affected residents and their visitors must walk, cycle or use wheel chairs and public transport for journeys if they do not want to take long detours.