New traffic scheme to ‘push pollution’ past nursery ‘risking safety’ of children

Residents have hit out at council plans to roll out a new traffic scheme which they say will divert cars past a nursery, increasing traffic in the area and risking the safety of children.

Wandsworth council has been accused of “sneaking through” new traffic controls by Balham residents after a consultation was rejected by 58 per cent of those surveyed.

The changes – which have been proposed by the council as measures to increase safety for schoolchildren – are set to come into force later this month at an estimated cost of about £150,000.

Hannah Ashby, 43, of Heslop Road, said: “Wandsworth council is sneaking these plans in by the back door, without proper consultation and despite there being widespread local opposition. 

“This will simply move traffic into other roads, putting children attending a nearby primary school and nursery school at increased risk.”

Staff at Marmalade Caterpillar nursery, in Heslop Road, are concerned that the new scheme will push more traffic past the front of the school, increasing pollution and causing a safety risk to young children.

Rozzy Hyslop, nursery principal, said: “I only heard about the consultation through a parent who lives locally so we felt on the back foot from the beginning. 

“I do not think that our concerns were considered at all.  We are a nursery of about 60 children who are all under five, and therefore most affected by pollution.  

“We would like Wandsworth to reconsider and help us to protect our vulnerable children.”

In October the council launched a three-week consultation to introduce two zebra crossings and a series of road changes to Boundaries Road, including a one-way section between the intersection of Boundaries Road and Balham Park Road along to Rowfant Road. 

Of the 741 responses, 307 were negative, 121 objected to other aspects and only 263 responded in favour of the plans.

James Wiggin, 55, of Sarsfeld Road, said: “No one argues that safety is not important, and the zebra crossings proposed for Chestnut Grove would provide more of that.

“But it will cause an increase in traffic in Heslop and Sarsfeld roads as vehicles work their way around to get back into Boundaries Road via Balham Park Road.

“Sarsfeld Road is already a busy residential street, with no traffic-calming measures on it and vehicles regularly speeding. Sending more traffic down it, past a nursery is unnecessary and illogical.”

Residents also said those living in the majority of streets affected by the changes were not informed about the consultation. Instead there was a notification on the council website and a single notice affixed to a lamppost in Boundaries Road.

Jenny Yates, Wandsworth’s Cabinet Member for Transport said: “This scheme is designed to address community concerns in this part of Balham, especially among parents, around the hazards their children face on their journeys to and from school. 

“We believe the new crossings will make those journeys much safer, as will the additional steps being taken to reduce the number of vehicles on the approaches to both schools at the times pupils are arriving and departing each day. We’ll be carrying out extensive monitoring to assess the impact of the scheme in the local area over the coming months.”

Pictured top: James Wiggin said the new measures would increase traffic in the area / Boundaries Road which will be affected by the changes (Picture: James Wiggin / Hannah Ashby)