Green walkway plan hangs in the balance (From Your Local Guardian)
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Green walkway plan for Tolworth hangs in the balance
8:00am Thursday 12th January 2012 in Kingston By Tom Barnes
A controversial project to build a green walkway down the middle of a busy road hangs in the balance after councillors demanded a review.
About 30 people turned up to protest plans to replace the central barriers at Tolworth Broadway with 500 metres of grass and plastic ‘greenway’ at a neighbourhood committee last month.
Despite the opposition, councillors at the meeting voted in favour of the project with a majority of eight to two, with two abstentions.
But now councillors have called in the decision on the grounds the proposals failed to provide enough detail on the pedestrian’s safety, traffic congestion and the impact on motorists and residents.
According to a spokesman at Kingston council the £2.6m project, partly funded by Transport for London, will now face further analysis at a scrutiny panel.
Berrylands councillor Karen George was among three Conservative councillors who called for the review.
She said: “We are concerned that the tearing down of these barriers and the proposed informal crossing will be extremely dangerous to pedestrians.
The Tolworth roundabout is one of the busiest parts of the A3 and we feel that further scrutiny is required before the work begins.”
Alan Slade, who attended the meeting in December, said traffic calming measures plans would lead to huge congestion.
He said: “Trying to create a green village type feel next to the A3 is not only an impractical waste of desperately needed council money it also completely ridiculous.”
Transport chief Roy Thompson, who is leading the project, said the traffic impact had been tested “vigorously” through traffic modeling and simulations.
He said: “We recognise and respect the local democratic process and welcome the opportunity to explain the scheme in more detail.
“We are keen to continue to engage with all stakeholders to deliver this innovative project which will underpin the revitalisation of Tolworth Broadway."
If given the go ahead, work is due to begin in April and should be completed in time for the Olympics.
Comments(7)
bystander tolworth
says...
2:13pm Thu 12 Jan 12
Beverly RA
says...
3:49am Fri 13 Jan 12
I have said before local Councillors will stand or fall on the decision they make on this.
Well done for calling it in Clllr Karen George
SteveC1964
says...
2:22pm Fri 13 Jan 12
I rather think that providing pedestrian crossings at the roundabout that mean we don't have to use the subways is a good move. Not so sure about the green strip down the middle of the Broadway though - you can't browse the shop windows from that distance!
If Boris Johnson doesn't get to spend our money in Tolworth he'll go and spend it in another borough that does agree to a scheme - maybe Wandsworth or Hammersmith & Fulham or Kensington? More cash for his Conservative boroughs.
BrianM1975
says...
3:53pm Fri 13 Jan 12
Maybe it won't be spent at all and then the Budgets for next year will go down along with the Council Tax that funds these projects.
This project is dangerous and will result in more injuries and deaths on this stretch of road than there are at present.
It's a hairbrained scheme and one on which the consultation with residents was, at best, misleading.
SteveC1964
says...
6:08pm Fri 13 Jan 12
I'd like the money to be spent on doing away with the pedestrian subways and putting in crossings at road level. That'd be a good use of the money.
Foo Bear
says...
12:14pm Sat 14 Jan 12
BrianM1975 says...
2:01pm Thu 12 Jan 12
It's a pure vanity project by the Lib Dems to waste £2.6m of taxpayers money.
I dread to think how many accidents, injuries and deaths there will be if this scheme gets the go ahead.