Schedule 7 proposed lorry routes
On the last working day before the Christmas break, Crossrail’s planning submission for additional lorry movements was accepted by the City of Westminster for consideration in the new year.
You can imagine the potential nuisance a successful application would be for locals. The application will result in more noise, poorer air quality and not least, a risk to safety in residential neighbourhoods in North Paddington (as well as Harlesden); South West of Paddington station; Notting Hill Gate & Bayswater with up to 70 lorry movements passing daily through these neighbourhoods. All this when Westminster Council were originally led to believe that the scheme would deliver the tunnel lining being constructed at Old Oak Common to the Westbourne Park worksite by rail as they are barely two and half miles apart. This latest application will simply add to the complaints already being voiced by residents about the lorry movements onto the worksite for the tarmac plant.
Furthermore, the proposals will mean that on the northern most route along the Harrow Road, lorries would have to turn right where currently only buses are permitted at the junction of Harrow Rd and Great Western Road. This is already a busy junction for residents and local businesses and therefore, will do little to alleviate existing concerns over safety, as well as adding noise and air pollution along the Harrow Rd shopping parade. There are also concerns about using the Bridge, which many consider is not up to taking such heavy loads. Also, the application makes way for the legitimate argument which is, if heavy goods vehicles are permitted to turn right at the this junction, then why continue a ban for smaller vehicles? Finally, there is the southern most proposed route along the whole length of Ladbroke Grove then around into Bayswater along very tight residential roads like Chepstow Road all of which makes this application unsuitable for the area and a burden on local residents.
An alternative does exist between Old Oak Common and Royal Oak portal for transportation via water freight. We have a canal link between the two sites which means you could move the tunnel linings/segments by canal without causing the disturbance which lorries will cause. It is something Crossrail have considered when they commissioned a feasibility study, however, since letting the contract to Bam Ferrovial Kier (BFK), Crossrail have seemingly backed away from its own suggestion of how this could be achieved.
In the meantime, in another part of London (as shown below), it has already been demonstrated that using the canals to move tunnel lining/segments is extremly plausible, practical and a huge benefit for the local neighbourhood.
If Crossrail are serious about minimising the disruption to local residents which its additional lorries will create in the North Paddington & Notting Hill Gate neighbourhood, then it should consider the water freight option in earnest before beginning the main tunnelling works.
Finally,you can make your views known to this application by visiting this link.
What can local residents do to stop this? It’s already a nightmare getting the bus down Chepstow Road because of traffic on busy days, we don’t need more headaches!
Katrina,
It sounds as though you did not get a notice as you should have being on the route. You should phone up the council and tell them that you have not been written to about this lorry movement planning application.
Once you have done that you should be able to put in your concerns for consideration when this application is being considered by the Council.
I hope thats useful for starters.
Murad
Murad, I have only heard about the plans today. All households on the suggested route for the lorries carrying parts for the crossrail should have been notified individually -as happens before the Notting hill Carnival each year.
Not only is there already great difficulty with traffic passing in opposite directions along Chepstow Road, but with loud music alone during the NH Carnival, our buildings shake, so what damage to our foundations will heavy lorries do?
We must stop these plans, francesca
Thank you Murad fpr voicing your strong objection to this ridiculous proposal to use lorries along narrow streets which are already under strain. The canal is there to be used and much more environmental. This will make the roads much more dangerous and the roads themselves are already under strain.
Not everybody it seems received the letters in December 2011 inviting residents to raise their objections.
This can be done online via the following link.
http://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do;jsessionid=11F5ADA2317B059289FDE7D860016EE9?activeTab=summary&keyVal=LVKS4QRP01R00
The contact person at Development Planning in City of Westminster is Sarah Whitnall on 020 7641 2929,
We still have a few days to submit our objections I would say until 15 January or so…even if it says within 21 days as it is not a licensing application.
Please make your views known to City of Westminster so they have all their information to hand.
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