If you live on the Page or part of the Progress Estate in Eltham you may have recently received a letter from Greenwich Council about it’s ‘Sustainable Streets’ programme which ‘aims to reduce car journeys’ by a range of measure targeted at drivers. On it’s website and in the letter the Council states:
“The council will be asking residents and businesses in the neighbourhoods of Plumstead, Thamesmead West, Woolwich, Shooters Hill, Kidbrooke/Blackheath, and Charlton what they think about parking and traffic in their areas”
This has led a range of outlets including the Newsshopper and Greenwich Wire to conclude that the consultation does not include Eltham, however, if you look at the map included in the consultation process, it includes Eltham’s Page Estate and around a third of the Progress Estate, something which is easy to miss unless you are looking closely.
As a result we thought it was important to write to you to encourage you to respond to the Council’s consultation prior to the deadline on 19th March – this can be done at this website: https://sustainable-streets-rbg.commonplace.is/. We understand that there are paper copies available too but these are at libraries well away from Eltham at Thamesmead Health Centre, Blackheath Library, Charlton House Library, The Plumstead Centre, Slade Centre Library, or The Woolwich Centre.
Responding seems particularly important as 4 years ago the Council attempted to block the roads under the A2 (Eltham Green/Birdbrook Road and Shawbrooke Road) to cars. At the time the Greenwich Wire website reported Greenwich Labour “Councillors were spooked by Conservative councillors campaigning against traffic measures in wards in the south of the borough”.
Since his return to the Council as a Councillor in New Eltham, Conservative Cllr Charlie Davis has been trying to establish whether Labour will reintroduce its 2021 plans for cycle lanes and block off roads on the Page Estate (which were strongly rejected by residents at the time). At the December 2024 Council Meeting the Cabinet Member seemed to duck the question, but at the Council’s Transport Committee it was confirmed that any cycle scheme would also aim to reduce car usage, making the closure of these roads more likely.
It seems likely that the Labour Council has focused it’s plans on areas where there are no opposition Councillors and there are now less Conservatives locally making it much harder for them to resist these plans.
Phil Russell, Chair of the Page Estate Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel commented “I have great issues with the document I received in the post, firstly on the map the road names are so small you cannot read them. Secondly, there is no mention of the Page Estate. Thirdly when you go to the sites to read about what the Council intends to do it is so ambiguous I am finding it hard to sort out what the programme will do to my area.”
It is hard not to agree with Phil about the actual policies which the Council is planning to introduce, however, in their 2023 Parking Strategy there is a clear wish to ‘accelerate’ the introduction of Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs – where you pay to park outside your own home) with the twin aims of detering private car journeys and reducing car ownership.
So please do respond to the consultation (as the response rate is currently very low for these areas) and any help you could provide us with in resisting these plans to split the Page Estate in two and preventing the introduction of Controlled Parking Zones to roads where they are not wanted would be appreciated (eg by delivering letters or promoting this link on social media including Whatsapp groups).
Please do get in touch at spencer@spencerdrury.com if you want to protect your ability to own a car, drive around locally and park on your own street.
