Kensington High Street: Designation (Hansard, 21 June 1991)

Earl Howe
No, my Lords. The designated roads in this area are Cromwell Road, Holland Park Avenue/Bayswater Road and the Earls Court one-way system.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. That makes clear why Kensington High Street has at present very restricted access for vehicles. However, is the Minister aware that every day trucks get stuck in the road-narrowing system there, and that the traffic has to back-up to enable trucks to enter the bus lane which they are not entitled to use? Will the Minister tell us whether the new traffic director for London will be able to consider whether this road is an important artery into London which might help to relieve the congestion in Cromwell Road? That is to become a red route.

Earl Howe
My Lords, the width restriction to which my noble friend refers was imposed by the local highway authority on a temporary basis. That was because of the identification of possible weaknesses in the bridge which carries the high street over the Circle and District Underground lines. I understand that remedial work is planned to commence later this year or early next year. I should expect a notification to be made to the Secretary of State if there was any proposal to make the restriction permanent.
With regard to the second question, it is not intended that the high street should be included in the provisional network published in the Traffic in London document in December 1989. That was the document which defined the proposed priority routes in London. Therefore, I anticipate that the traffic director, when appointed, will have no direct responsibility for Kensington High Street.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, is the noble Earl not aware that there is nothing so permanent as a temporary decision? The point that the noble Baroness, Lady Gardner, has raised is extremely important. I hope that we do not have to wait until some dreadful accident takes place before we act on the proposition put forward by the noble Baroness.

Earl Howe
My Lords, I understand that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has every intention of carrying out remedial works to the bridge 338 to which I referred. Those works are likely to start later this year or early next year. It is not known how long they will take.

§ Lord Tordoff
My Lords, does this not illustrate the weakness of the post of traffic director which is to be set up? His activities will be entirely confined to red routes and not to solving the rest of the problems of London traffic.

Earl Howe
My Lords, I can tell the noble Lord, Lord Tordoff, that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has remained fully in touch with the Department of Transport on this matter. The department is satisfied that all correct procedures have been adhered to.

§ Lord Underhill
My Lords, even if the department is so satisfied, assuming that the road works take a long time to complete what action does the Minister suggest should be taken? We on these Benches have pressed time and time again for adequate consultation on these matters.

Earl Howe
My Lords, it is perfectly possible for the Secretary of State to bring the comments of your Lordships today to the attention of the borough. I shall ensure that he does so.

§ Lord Lucas of Chilworth
My Lords, would my noble friend not agree that this action by the royal borough amounts to a lorry ban, which merely puts additional pressure on other road works? Without a cohesive plan to take care of necessary and remedial works, chaos is bound to ensue.

Earl Howe
My Lords, in the view of the borough on which the onus in these matters rests, the barrier has no significant effect on the designated road network in the area. Therefore it is not a matter for official notification to the Secretary of State. That is a view with which the department agrees.

§ Lord Shepherd
My Lords, does the borough have the finance set aside for the remedial work?

Earl Howe
My Lords, an application for a transport supplementary grant is under consideration at the Department of Transport. The result of that application is not yet known. However, my understanding is that the money will be found by the borough one way or another.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, is it not the case that if the traffic director is to be responsible for the red routes, he will not be able to deal with that matter completely unless he can look at possible alternative routes which might take some of the traffic load? At present there is a great deal of work going on in Brompton Road and Cromwell Road. The additional road space would help to alleviate the traffic problems in London.

Earl Howe
My Lords, as I said, the question of priority routes is a matter to be decided when the traffic director is appointed. I am afraid I cannot anticipate his decision.