A406/Transport

The transport agenda in this country has become heavily biased towards road use, with attendant neglect of rail and bus. Aside from adding to congestion and further disadvantaging the poor, this has serious consequences for global warming, the most serious threat currently faced by mankind. Greens stand for rebalancing the transport equation to favour public transport - see the national party's policy pages

The hot transport issue in Enfield is the North Circular Road scheme which has finally been given the go-ahead after 45 years of wrangling. Enfield Green Party views the scheme with mixed feelings. Less road-biased than the previous attempt, and with some good safety features, the plans nevertheless leave many local concerns unaddressed, particularly the rat-running which is endemic in the area immediately south of the A406.

Enfield Green Party member Laura Davenport is also part of the Bowes Telford Community Action Group (BTCAG) which has taken the trouble to ask local residents what they want - something Transport for London and the council have signally failed to do - and fought tooth and nail to get it. After much negotiation with Transport for London they managed to save local businesses including those in the Ritz Parade, the chemist and dentist; they pushed for a new pedestrian bridge to be installed at a busy junction, the implementation of 30mph throughout this stretch of the A406 and that the tree and shrub planning programme be improved. At the same time the BTCAG continually campaigned for a 20mph zone on residential streets, improved street lighting and that the blighted houses be brought back into use.

As at Autumn 2011 there are issues over three aspects of the scheme:
(a) A406 road
(b) traffic calming
(c) housing

(a) A406 road
With at least six months of construction yet to come it hard to know whether the scheme will meet its objectives, still less the aspirations of local people.

On the north side of the road the pavement is shared between cyclists heading east, cyclists heading west and pedestrians. TfL ran out of green tarmac for the cycle lanes so both pedestrian and cycle route have black tarmac. TfL assure us that it is safe.

The 7 lane junction at Wilmer Way is now open. Is it helping traffic flow? Not at the moment: the yellow box seems to be used as a car park. TfL assure us that once road works are complete traffic will flow smoothly.

Public transport, pedestrians and private vehicles continue to be diverted around the area whilst work takes place. TfL assure us things will improve.

The roadworks will be complete by Spring 2012 and shortly after that one of the lanes will be designated a VIP Olympic lane linking Wembley to the Olympic Village.

(b) Traffic calming
Enfield's Labour Council has implemented the 20 mph zone we proposed - but not very well.

The Warwick Road traffic calming scheme is almost complete. The Green Party campaigned for a 20 mph zone and the Labour Party liked the idea so much they put it into practice. Local people anticipated a nice-looking scheme incorporating brick block tables at junctions that would not only physically slow traffic down but would also remind drivers coming off the A406 that they were entering a residential area. Unfortunately it looks as if Haringey used up most of the £4 million TfL traffic calming grant, so Enfield have used lots of tarmac to create humps and bumps.

(c) Housing
The Notting Hill Housing Trust has done a good job on renovation but proposes a lot of new building too - but with no new public facilities even though local schools are over-subscribed.

Since 2005 the Green Party has campaigned to get the homes along the A406 brought back in to use. Notting Hill Housing Trust (NHHT) was given a grant to purchase and sort out the housing. On the one hand they are doing a great job: new roofs, windows and doors for tenants. However, NHHT sees the area as a way to make big bucks. One of their many plans is to knock down the 14 family homes next to the new bridge and build 80 flats (including 3 bed flats) in their place; that's right, putting families in flats. For more information about flats click here