Transport for London is facing stiff borough opposition to its latest tram scheme, linking areas north and south of the river, despite winning praise for earlier consultation on route options.
The Greater London Assembly’s transport committee said TfL ‘seems to have learnt lessons from previous local opposition to tram schemes, by consulting at a very early stage on route options’. A third consultation just launched on the West London tram – the subject of vociferous local opposition – was suggesting changes ‘too late to bring residents on board,’ said Geoff Pope, committee chair. But, despite earlier consultation, TfL came under fire for the Cross River tram proposals to connect Camden in north London with Peckham and Brixton south of the Thames.
Camden council was concerned that more traffic would be pushed on to residential streets in Camden town, and that running the tram down residential streets in Somers Town, near Kings Cross, close to primary schools, would be dangerous for the local community. South of the Thames, there is anger over TfL’s proposal to site the tram depot in Peckham town centre.
Southwark council is pushing for a comprehensive evaluation of alternatives for the location of the tram depot, following concern by residents in Peckham that the town centre would be blighted. The consultation, just closed, sought views on two different route options for four out of five separate sections (Surveyor, 23 November). Ealing council – captured by the Conservatives last year, at the same time as the Liberal Democrats and Tories pushed Labour out of Camden – issued ‘a rallying call to residents to tell TfL how unwanted its latest tram plans are’.
TfL also amended the scheme design at two junctions in Southall to prevent a number of property demolitions – 31 buildings would be lost at one – but Ealing council said the right-hand turn bans needed to do this would create ‘grid-lock’.
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