Hundreds of Greenwich Peninsula residents call for street improvements

A recent council meeting saw residents of Greenwich Peninsula call for streets changes to improve their area.

A petition containing 334 signatures was presented to the authority’s Highway Committee as residents raised issues such as a lack of crossing points, speed limits and lorries using residential streets at West Parkside and Peartree Way.

The area sits in Greenwich Millennium Village which has seen on ongoing number of plots built and commence in the recent past.

The petition states:

We, the undersigned, call upon the Royal Borough of Greenwich, in co-operation with Greenwich Millennium Village Ltd, to ensure that Peartree Way is restricted to 20mph and has a 7.5 tonne vehicle limit apart from access.

Further, we call for a dropped kerb and quality crossing points at the Southern end of Peartree Way to assist school children and other pedestrians crossing.

We ask for clear signage and appropriate entry treatment at the junction for Peartree Way and Horn Link Way.

We ask for appropriate measures to ensure excellent road safety and healthy streets throughout GMV. In a speech, one resident stated that poor parking is an issue. She mentioned that parking attendants are rarely seen nor do they sometimes act when they do arrive.

A resident spoke to councillors and the council’s head of Highways, stating that when residents actively contact the council regarding poor parking and to a lack of routine patrols, the time to respond can be days.

They also raised the failure to adopt a dropped kerb at pedestrian crossing points on an approved estate plan.

In addition, a width restriction for developer lorries was removed and not reinstated despite that plot being completed four years ago.

In response to Greenwich Council’s Highway department raising evening-only restrictions on traffic, the response was “we are not a nocturnal community”.

They stated a 20mph limit will be in place sometime in the future, with a width restriction set to be reintroduced.

Greenwich again stated they dependent on outside funding.  You wouldn’t know there’s vast number of new developments in the immediate area, with more set to be approved.

The latest statement on S106 shows £10,570,215.29 unallocated borough-wide.

Cllr Majid Rahman (East Greenwich) stated he has had to carry his niece as cars speed off the roundabout into Peartree Way at high speed. There is no signalised or zebra crossing here.

There is however much guardrail cementing the dominance of vehicles in an rapidly urbanising area with ever more pedestrian footfall.

The meeting followed the usual pattern; Greenwich officers claiming lack of funds and lack of powers while failing to mention where they can raise funds and do have powers.

It was pretty much all down to TfL again. No mention they’ll look into S106 revenue and in future CIL funds, nor any surplus from parking and CCTV revenue ringfenced to transport.

The Planning department bears responsibility alongside Highways. Much housing has been approved yet little thought for incoming residents nor funding allocated from agreement between the council and developers.