London Traffic Conditions (Committee's Recommendations) (Hansard, 11 July 1957)

§ 38. Mr. Watkinson

As part of the plan to improve traffic conditions, the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee has, at my request, been considering the whole framework of restrictions on waiting vehicles within the Metropolitan Police District. After consulting all the local authorities concerned, it has now submitted its Report. It recommends that certain general changes 63W should be brought into force as early as possible, and that it should later consider with the appropriate local authorities what further alterations may be desirable in particular localities or streets.

The principal general change recommended is that with minor exceptions all restrictions on waiting vehicles should start at 8.30 a.m. instead of at 11.30 a.m. as at present. In Central London, where the restrictions do not operate on Saturdays, the Committee recommends that they should now be extended to Saturdays, from 8.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. in most streets, but to 6.30 p.m. in some of the busiest shopping streets. It has further recommended that in a limited number of streets in the West End theatre district the restrictions should continue until 10.0 p.m. from Mondays to Saturdays. In a few streets in Outer London it believes that a break could be allowed in the middle of the day; it recommends that the restrictions should operate in such streets from 8.30 a.m. to 11.0 a.m. and from 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, but that the break should not be allowed on Saturdays.

In "Unilateral Waiting" streets it recommends that the hours of restriction should as far as possible be the same as for the "No Waiting" restrictions in neighbouring streets, and that the permitted waiting time during the day should in all cases be one hour. This is double the present waiting time of thirty minutes and I hope will prove a useful concession to the motorist.

The Committee has suggested that the flow of traffic would be considerably eased if the existing exemptions for street traders were reduced, and it recommends that in future exemption should be given only for traders who hold a licence from a local authority to trade from a stationary pitch. This is in accordance with the recommendations of the Samuels Committee in its interim Parking Survey Report.

The Committee has also reviewed a large number of miscellaneous Regulations dealing with such matters as slow-moving traffic and the lighting of street-works, and has made certain detailed recommendations.

I have decided to accept the Committee's recommendations, and I propose to bring them into effect on 1st January, 64W 1958, which should allow time for the authorities concerned to erect the necessary signs.

The Committee has also considered proposals for prohibiting the loading and unloading of vehicles during the morning peak traffic period in a number of the most congested streets in London. In view of the very large number of objections received the Committee tells me that it proposes to hold a public inquiry into this matter in the autumn before making any firm recommendation.

The Committee has also completed its detailed examination of the lengths of main road proposed for the first experiment in speed limits of 40 m.p.h. in the London traffic area. The lengths which it recommends for this purpose are listed below. I have already announced, in Answer to a Question on 9th May, 1956, by my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Partridge) my acceptance in principle of an experiment with speed limits of 40 m.p.h. and I now accept this further advice as to the initial lengths.

A special and distinctive sign has been devised. I shall make the necessary regulations, and the experiment will begin as soon as the signs can be erected, not later, I hope, than 1st January, 1958. The results will be kept under careful observation and in due course will be reported to the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee and to the Departmental Road Safety Committee.

These developments in the regulation of waiting vehicles and the flexible application of speed limits in the London traffic area are of course only part of a comprehensive plan for facilitating the free movement of traffic in the streets of London, which includes the proposals for the installation of parking meters and other measures.

Following is a list of lengths of roads for first 40 m.p.h. experiment:

Trunk Road No. 36 (A.406)

(i) From 40 yards south of Western Avenue (A.40) in Ealing to the Western junction with the London—Edinburgh Trunk Road (A.1) in Finchley.
(ii) From the east junction with the London—Edinburgh Trunk Road (A.1) Finchley to 53 yards north-east of Edge Hill Avenue, Finchley.
(iii) From 50 yards east of Green Lanes (A.105) Southgate to Great Cambridge Road (A.10) Edmonton.
(iv) From 16 yards east of Chingford Road to 150 yards east of Hale End Road, Walthamstow.
(v) From 130 yards east of High Road, South Woodford to Eastern Avenue (A.12) at Gants Hill, Ilford.

Trunk Road No. 9 (A.4)

(i) Between Chiswick High Road and Wood Lane, Osterley.
(ii) Between the Parkway Cranford and Harlington High Street
(iii) From the western end of the Colnbrook Roundabout to 98 yards east of Lynwood Avenue, Slough.
(iv) From 120 yards east of Approach Road, Taplow, to 10 yards east of Ellington Road, Taplow.

Trunk Road No. 6 (A.3)

(i) From 50 yards south of Josephs Road, Guildford, to a point near the railway bridge south of Ash Grove.
(ii) From 110 yards north-east of Burpham Lane to Boxgrove Road.
(iii) From Northern arm of Hillbrow Road to Hampton Court Way (A.309).

Trunk Road No. 10 (A.40)

From Old Oak Road, Acton, to Alperton Lane.

Westway (A.40) Hammersmith

From 135 yards west of Wood Lane (A.40 and A.219) to Old Oak Road.

Trunk Road No. 12 (A.41)

(i) From 46 yards north of Finchley Road, Hendon, to 18 yards north of Park Road, Hendon.
(ii) From 63 yards north of the south arm of Selbourne Gardens, Hendon, to immediately south of Great North Way (A.1).

Trunk Road No. 35 (A.41)

(i) From Barnet Way to Apex Corner to 80 yards north of Glendale Avenue, Hendon (to come into effect on July 17th, 1957).
(ii) From immediately west of Purbrook Avenue, Watford, to 150 yards west of Gammons Lane. Watford.

Trunk Road No. 1 (A.1)

(i) From the Great North Road (A.1000) Hornsey to 25 yards east of Greenhalgh Walk, Finchley.
(ii) From 78 yards north-west of western junction with Addison Way, Finchley to a point immediately north of Finchley Lane.
(iii) From 200 yards north of Ellenbrook Lane, Hatfield to 275 yards north-east of Green Lanes, Hatfield.
(iv) From 80 yards south-west of "The Drive", Welwyn Heath to the boundary of the Welwyn Rural District (Boundary of London Traffic Area).

66W

9. Trunk Road No. 31 (A.10)

(i) From 70 yards east of the Eastern arm of Waltheof Gardens, Tottenham to Middlesex/ Hertfordshire County Boundary, approximately 400 yards north of Bullsmoor Lane.
(ii) From 275 yards south of College Road (B.1561 to 140 yards north of Church Lane (B.157) Cheshunt.

The Roundway (A.1080)

From 45 yards north of Lordship Lane (A.109) to the Great Cambridge Road (A.10)

Trunk Road No. 3 (A.12)

(i) From immediately east of High Street, Wanstead (Wanstead Tube Station) to 50 yards east of Bawdsey Avenue, Ilford.
(ii) From Mawney Road, Romford to 150 yards west of Heather Avenue.
(iii) From immediately west of Gooshays Drive to Maylands Way, Harold Wood.
(iv) From Nags Head Lane to Kavanagh Road, Brentwood.
(v) Between Sawyers Hall Lane and Oliver Road, Brentwood.

Trunk Road No. 33 (A.13)

From immediately east of Beckton Road, West Ham to just east of Dover's Corner. Rainham.

Trunk Road No. 34 (A.2)

(i) From the L.C.C./Kent boundary near Crown Woods Way to 53 yards east of the eastern parapet of the river bridge at Bourne Road, Bexley.
(ii) From 37 yards east of Heather Drive eastwards to a point 70 yards east of Lowfield Street, Dartford.

Rochester Way (A.2)

Between Lower Jackwood Close, Woolwich, and the London County Council boundary.

Sidcup Road (A.20) Woolwich

(i) From Eltham Road southwards to a point 90 yards north-west of the western end of the River Quaggy bridge parapet.
(ii) From a point 5 yards east of West Park eastwards to a point 3 yards east of Mervyn Avenue.

Westhorne Avenue (A.205) Woolwich

From a point 5 yards east of Burnt Ash Hill north-eastwards to a point opposite Nos. 620–622, Westhorne Avenue.

Croydon Road (A.236) Mitcham

From a point 33 yards north-west of Red House Road to a point 35 yards south-cast of Cedars Avenue.

Honeypot Lane (B.4566) Harrow

From 50 yards south of Whitchurch Lane (B.461) to 50 yards north of Streatfield Road

Sevenoaks Way (A.224)

From 15 yards south of roundabout at the Sidcup By-pass (A.20) to Cray Avenue (A.224).

67W

Cray Avenue (A.224)

From Sevenoaks Way to Court Road (A.224).

Bromley Common (A.21)

From 70 yards south of Crown Lane to 13 yards south of Church Lane.

Hastings Road (A.21)

From 13 yards south of Church Lane to Farnborough By-pass (A.21).

Oakley Road (A.233) Bromley

From junction with Bromley Common (A.21) to Westerham Road (A.233).

Westerham Road (A.233) Bromley

From Oakley Road (A.233) to Keston Church.

St. Helier Avenue (A.297)

From Nos. 1–3, St. Helier Avenue to No. 12A, Rosehill Court Parade.

Cockfosters Road (A.111)

From 70 yards north of the southern arm of Chalk Lane to 50 yards north of Wagon Road.

Sewardstone Road (A.112)

From 125 yards north of the "Fox and Hounds" Public House to the south side of Beechfield Walk, Waltham Abbey.

Bramley Road and Enfield Road (A.110)

From Prince George Avenue to the last house near Cotswold Way.

Cromwell Road Extension

(i) From 100 yards east of Chiswick Lane, Chiswick to Bridge Avenue, Hammersmith.
(ii) From 190 yards south-east of Cambridge Road to Duke's Avenue, Chiswick.

Bushey Road (A.298)

From Dupont Road, Raynes Park, to Kingston By-pass (A.3).

Surbiton—Leatherhead Road (A.243)

From Chalky Lane, Chessington, to a point approximately 450 yards south of Fairoak Lane.

Sunbury Road (A.305)

From 55 yards west of Park Road, Feltham, to 10 yards east of the western entrance to the Metropolitan Water Board, near Staines Reservoir Aqueduct.

Staines Road East and Upper Sunbury Road (A.308)

From 70 yards east of Kempton Road to 30 yards east of Sunbury Court Road.

Greenford Road (A.4127)

(i) From 150 yards north of Uxbridge Road, Southall to 150 yards south of Ruislip Road, Ealing.
(ii) From Western Avenue to Berkeley Avenue, Sudbury.

Yeading Lane and Church Road (A.312)

From Uxbridge Road to Western Avenue.

68W

The Common (A.4140) Stanmore

From south-east of Hartsbourne Road to 140 yards north of Springfield Close.

Bridgewater Road (A.4005)

From Station Approach, Sudbury, to 15 yards north of Manor Farm Road.

London Road (A.3100) Guildford

From Boxgrove Road to Cross Lanes