Merton Council

Home Home Merton Adult Education Home Jobs in children's social care Home Wandle Valley Low Carbon Zone Home Safeguarding Children Board Home Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
This page will shortly be moving to our new website

This page has been archived

We have left the page here for reference but it is no longer being updated, so information may be out of date.

Proposed 20mph speed limit - Claremont Avenue area

Update - Implementation of 20mph Speed Limit - 26 October 2009

The representations received, during the formal consultation carried out in July 2009, along with officers’ recommendations were reported to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Traffic Management on 7 October 2009, who has agreed to proceed with the implementation of the proposed 20mph speed limit as shown on the linked newsletter below.

The Cabinet Member’s decisions are as follow:

  • To proceed with the introduction of the 20mph speed limit for Claremont Avenue area.
  • To proceed with the making of the Traffic Management Orders (TMO) for the implementation of the proposed Claremont Avenue area 20mph speed limit.

What Happens Next?

The final made TMOs, which allow the proposals to be implemented and administered, will be published in the London Gazette and the local newspaper shortly. Notices will also be placed on lamp columns in the affected area.

A plan identifying the area affected by the proposals and the Council’s ‘Statement of Reasons’ can be inspected at Merton Link, Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey during the Council’s working hours, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm.

It is anticipated that the scheme will be implemented before December 2009, subject to bad weather conditions. Given that the scheme only requires the installation of signs and road markings it is envisaged that the works will not cause inconvenience to residents and businesses.

Finally we would like to thank you for your participation.

See also

Update - Proposed 20mph Speed Limit - 24 July 2009

The council has a commitment to manage excessive or inappropriate speeds in residential roads through a programme of 20mph speed limits/zones. This programme is known as the "20 plenty” work programme. As part of this programme, the council has agreed to fund the introduction of a 20mph speed limit for the Claremont  Avenue area in West Barnes, during the 2009/10 financial year. The proposed area is bounded by Burlington Road (excluded), Malden Way (excluded), Claremont Avenue (inclusive), Stanley Avenue (inclusive) and West Barnes Lane (between Blakes Lane and Claremont Avenue).

As part of the traffic data collection exercise for the introduction of a 20mph, a traffic volume and traffic speed survey was carried out from 8 June 2009 to 14 June 2009, to determine the average speeds at which drivers travel on some of the roads within the proposed area. Please refer to the newsletter for more details.

In the 5-year period up to 30 June 2008, there were five slight recorded personal injury accidents (PIAs). Most of these accidents involved pedestrians and cyclists and occurred at the junctions due to obscured sightlines.

Proposals

Convert the area bounded by Burlington Road (excluded), Malden Way (excluded), Claremont Avenue (inclusive), Stanley Avenue (inclusive) and West Barnes Lane (between Blakes Lane and Claremont Avenue) line into a 20mph speed limit area (see plan linked below). This will involve the installation of signs at the entrance and exit to the zone in addition to smaller repeater signs along the roads within the proposed area.

Advantages of a speed limit area

  • Lower speeds reduce number of accidents, as nine out of ten pedestrian and cyclist fatalities occur in residential area; hence a lower speed limit will reduce the number and severity of PIAs.
  • At lower speeds, collisions are far less likely to be serious or fatal.
  • Lower traffic speeds will encourage more people to cycle and walk with confidence.
  • Lower traffic speeds allow easier cycle turning manoeuvres. For example, turning right can be difficult when you have to cross a lane of fast moving traffic. If the traffic speed is reduced to 20mph it should become much easier.

Disadvantages of a speed limit

  • Enforcement will be a problem if there is a sudden increase in traffic speeds, as enforcement is the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police.
  • Extra signs may increase street clutter.

What happens next?

A Notice of the council’s intentions to introduce the above measures will be published in the local newspaper and posted on lamp columns in the vicinity. Representations for and against must be done in writing to the Head of Street Scene and Waste Management Division, Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX by no later than 4 September 2009, quoting reference ES/SGE/CLAREMONTAVENUE20MPHLIMIT.

Officers’ comments and recommendations will be reported to either the Street Management Advisory Committee on 3 November 2009 or, if appropriate the Cabinet Member for Planning and Traffic Management for a decision.

Please note that responses to any representation received will not be made until a final decision is made by the Cabinet Member. The Council is required to give weight to the nature and content of your representations and not necessarily the quantity. Your reasons are, therefore, important to us.

A plan identifying the area affected by the proposal can be inspected at West Barnes Library and at Merton Link, Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey during the council’s working hours, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm.

See also

Contact us

Traffic & Highways
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX

Telephone: 020 8545 2171
Fax: 020 8545 4865

Email: trafficandhighways@merton.gov.uk

Top of page