Greenwich road where parents have to run ‘carrying kids’ may get speed limit

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents are fighting for a 20mph zone to be added to a busy road where there are so many speeding cars parents claim they have to run while “carrying kids across” the street.

Peartree Way on the Greenwich Peninsula may have a new speed limit and ban on heavy vehicles added to it, after a petition to bring traffic measures to the road was signed by more than 300 people.

The changes proposed are to be discussed at a Greenwich council meeting tomorrow.

The petition, which now has 344 signatures online, asks that a 20mph zone and limit on heavy vehicles be added to Peartree Way.

It also called for a dropped kerb and better crossing points for schoolchildren to be installed.

The requested changes were previously discussed at a highways committee meeting for Greenwich council on January 11.

Labour councillor Majid Rahman said at the meeting: “I’ve tried to cross the road myself with my little niece and I often have to carry her and feel like I would have to run because sometimes cars do come off the roundabout and speed into the road because it’s so wide.

“And surprisingly, it’s a lot wider than it needs to be.”

Cllr Rahman said Peartree Way was a “magnet” for people wanting to park there and that supporting the petition was much needed.

Lyn Achilleos, who made the petition, said at the meeting: “On a daily basis, our residents are negatively impacted. It’s a particular issue for those pushing buggies and wheelchairs.”

Andrew Burton, head of highways for Greenwich council, said that physically blocking heavy vehicles from the road would send lorries elsewhere.

The council officer also said a previous heavy vehicle block in Peartree Way had been removed to give access to vehicles building the Greenwich Millennium Village projects.

Mr Burton said at the meeting: “At the moment we’re looking to enforce the existing weight limits before we start introducing new ones so we are trawling all of our restrictions, and we’ll get those properly enforced before we start expanding.”

Pictured top: Peartree Way in Millennium Village, Greenwich (Picture: Google Street View)