The Royal Borough of Greenwich is set to launch one of its most contentious projects to date: the West & East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management Scheme, starting at 7am today.
This initiative aims to restrict vehicular access on several roads in Greenwich and Blackheath, including all hills east and west of Greenwich Park. Essentially a network of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in all but name, the scheme is moving forward despite overwhelming opposition from residents and local businesses.
Here are the answers to some of the most pressing questions to help you better understand the scheme and how it might affect you.
What is the West & East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management Scheme?
The scheme comprises a series of LTNs, mainly across Greenwich but venturing further into Blackheath, designed to stop people in motor vehicles from using specific roads at set times during weekdays. The council aims to discourage drivers from using quieter residential roads by redirecting them to already congested and highly polluted routes. This will be enforced through automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, which will identify vehicles violating the restrictions and automatically issue fines.
Why is the council introducing the scheme?
The Royal Borough of Greenwich claims it is part of its commitment to creating a cleaner, greener, safer, and healthier borough. The LTNs are said to form part of a range of measures to help encourage walking, cycling, and public transport, reduce traffic, improve air quality, and support the rollout of ultra-low-emission vehicles. The scheme was approved by Cllr Averil Lekau, below.
When will the scheme begin?
The scheme will begin on 27 November 2024 at 7am. However, a three-week grace period will apply, meaning drivers will not be fined for passing through ANPR cameras. Residents will be fined for doing so from 18 December 2024.
When will the roads be closed to through traffic?
The roads listed above will be closed from 7am - 10am, and 3pm - 7pm each weekday.
Which roads will be closed to through traffic?
Roads closed to through traffic in West Greenwich will be:
Crooms Hill (on the junction with Burney Street)
Circus Street (on the junction with Royal Hill)
Royal Hill (on the junction with Royal Place)
Royal Hill (on the junction with Point Hill)
Winforton Street (on the junction with Point Hill)
Maidenstone Hill (on the junction with Point Hill)
Other road changes in West Greenwich will include:
Burney Street - changed from two-way to one-way only
King George Street - changed from one-way only to two-way
Lindsell Street (on the junction with Greenwich South Street) – no entry into Lindsell Street
Roads closed to through traffic in East Greenwich will be:
Westcombe Hill (on the junction with Station Crescent)
Halstow Road
Vanbrugh Hill (on the junction with Dinsdale Road)
Maze Hill (on the junction with Tom Smith Close)
Roads closed to through traffic in East Greenwich will be:
St Johns Park (on the junction with Vanbrugh Park)
Langton Way (on the junction with Old Dover Road)
When you say ‘closed to through traffic’ what do you mean?
In practical terms, this means you won’t be able to drive from one end of the restricted roads to the other during the designated times without incurring a substantial fine of £130, reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days.
How long will the scheme be in place?
The scheme is being implemented on an experimental basis for a maximum period of 18 months. After this time, it will be decided whether to make the scheme permanent or not.
Are exemption permits available?
Yes. Exemption permits are available for:
emergency vehicles
refuse vehicles
private hire vehicles such as mini-cabs, and licensed taxis
professional carers
school buses, and other vehicles authorised at the council’s discretion
resident Blue Badge holders who apply for an exemption
residents who apply for an individual circumstance exemption
There are currently no exemptions for businesses based in the borough.
You must apply for an exemption permit if you are a Blue Badge holder.
How do I apply for an exemption permit?
To apply for a Blue Badge exemption permit or individual circumstance exemption, you'll need to be a resident of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and you'll be required to set up a permit account on the Royal Borough of Greenwich website. To do so, click here.
Once registered, sign into your account and:
Select Permit application.
From the Permit category dropdown, select Resident LTN.
Most of the next screen will already be pre-populated with the details you provided when you signed up for a Permit account. Scroll down to the Vehicle details section and enter your vehicle's details.
The final section asks for the reason you are applying for an exemption. Select one of the options and click next.
If you are a Blue Badge holder, you'll be asked to provide a copy of your Blue Badge and proof of address.
If you select any of the two other options relating to an individual circumstances exemption, you may be asked to provide evidence, such as a doctor's letter.
The traffic team will process your application and advise if an exemption has been granted.
What has the council learned from the last West Greenwich LTN scheme?
Not much, it appears. According to the council’s own decision report on the West Greenwich LTN scheme, the initiative resulted in traffic being displaced to some of the borough’s most congested and polluted areas, including Blackheath Hill, Shooters Hill Road, Trafalgar Road, Woolwich Road, and East Greenwich. With the introduction of the new scheme, it is anticipated that traffic will once again be diverted to these roads, including Blackheath Hill, Shooters Hill Road, Trafalgar Road, and Woolwich Road - and now, additionally, Charlton.
Blackheath Hill is part of the A2. What's wrong with shifting traffic there?
You're right, it is. However, Blackheath Hill is also home to 58.1 per cent of social housing tenants, including a residential block designated to people with chronic respiratory issues, and a brain injury rehabilitation hospital. According to the council's last published count in 2022, it was also responsible for accommodating over 33,000 motor vehicles per day on a seven-day average. Compare this to neighbouring roads inside the LTNs and there is lots wrong, as the table below shows.
What do emergency services think of the scheme?
Emergency services were first consulted by the Royal Borough of Greenwich on 16 October 2023, after the public consultation had closed, although the council assured residents that they had been part of the consultation process from the early stages. They were given nine days to respond.
Despite the council's claims that LTNs will improve emergency services' response times, the London Ambulance Service advised council officers in an email on 25 October 2023 of the opposite, stating they ‘have the potential to impede our response to the most critically-ill people.’ The LAS went on to highlight potential delays caused by ‘significant diversions around congested roads.'
Emergency service vehicles are exempt under the provisions of the scheme, and proposed physical closures have been replaced with ANPR cameras, indicating that their operations have been considered. However, it was previously documented by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) that high congestion on Blackheath Hill and Shooters Hill Road makes attending emergency call-outs difficult; displacing traffic to these roads will increase this difficulty.
The above said, emergency service vehicles are unable to drive down one-way streets, such as the newly imposed one-way Burney Street, without receiving permission to do so by a police officer in uniform, meaning a potentially-timely detour onto Greenwich High Road, which lies on the boundary of the scheme.
*Royal Borough of Greenwich automatic traffic counts, September 2022
**Census 2021