Forum Topic

Under siege

I am really beginning to feel that Isleworth must have upset someone given some of the things going on here.First we have the ongoing saga of the shortened median strip at the junction of Dawes Ave. and the Twickenham Rd. which has allowed illegal right hand turns into Dawes Ave. thereby creating extremely dangerous manoeuvres into the oncoming traffic, and putting more vehicles onto local roads which are also the way to three local primary schools. Since I met with councillors and the Head of Traffic last August it seems nothing has been done! A CCTV camera is monitoring illegal turns and now the council are to issue warnings to offenders and then PCNs! Never mind the serious implications this has for road safety, what a nice little earner this could turn out to be.Secondly the saga of the horses on the local park rumbles on, with the council in their (doubtful) wisdom attaching an A4 piece of paper to a nearby gate with an e-mail address and calling it a 'consultation'. Several of us residents have impressed upon Cllr. Mayne the importance of a full and proper consultation, meaning letters through the doors of everyone who lives in this area. The fact that our councillors were sucked into this by officers is pretty appalling but their reluctance to sort it out is even more so. One only has to look at legislation regarding public open space which this park is to see what a real clanger has been dropped. Has no-one ever heard of 'sorry we got it wrong'? It seems someone's horses grazing are more important than having an amenity for local residents, talk of costs for the upkeep of this fairly small area are a complete red herring to try and justify what is a very murky issue.  

Vanessa Smith ● 4045d12 Comments

I agree, but it's a difficult balancing act between convenience and safety for people living here. Remember there are three primary schools at the far end of Worple and a lot of kids still walk to school, and it wouldn't be long before drivers found out how to wriggle through the back doubles and add even more traffic to South St. Church St. etc. Not to mention finding the way eventually to Talbot Rd and out down there to either get back to South St. or up to the A316 at Twickers.

Vanessa Smith ● 4039d

Vanessa thanks, this would be OK if returning from Sunbury/the M3, but to suggest people coming from Richmond or Twickenham go round this way is frankly daft, to me anyway, as it means going right round the whole of the Ivybridge/Tesco's block including 3 sets of lights, quite possibly adding to congestion as you go, on the 316 anyway. That's the trouble with closing off these right turns and other so-called 'rat runs' - people end up going round three sides of a block to get to the fourth side, and then locals wonder why there's congestion and queues.

Ian Speed ● 4039d

Thing is Ian, if you are coming to this estate from the A316 and you are familiar with the road layout you will know it is best to carry on down the A316 to the Curry's roundabout and then go down Rugby Road. You can then turn into Mogden Lane and right at the Twickenham Rd. junction, which does not necessitate any faffing around at all, you can just do a left into Worple by the allotments.

Vanessa Smith ● 4039d

Yes, but if people can turn right at Cleveland Rd, why can't they turn right at Worple, they're still turning right across the Southbound traffic. And encouraging people to sneak into the shopping centre car park and come out again just means more people turning right across both lanes.

Ian Speed ● 4040d

I'm with Vanessa on this.  The arrangements we have in place go back a generation and there is no evidence of any widespread dissatisfaction with them from the people living on or around the Worple estate.Where there is any conflict, public safety must take precedence over any minor inconvenience to motorists.  The disregard for the views - and the well-being - of local people that has been demonstrated by the local authority over this matter is scandalous.

Phil Andrews ● 4040d

You used to be able to turn right into both entrances there sometime ago, now you either go into Ivybridge parade and turn round and bear right to go back on yourself or go right down to Cleveland Rd and back up Worple Avenue. I think most of us who live here are used to that, but that median strip is downright lethal as it is, not that I expect anyone to listen.

Vanessa Smith ● 4040d

It would help if you could turn right into Worple Avenue at the green further down. As it is, anyone coming back from Twickenham who lives on the Worple Estate has to go right up Twickenham Rd. And people wonder why there is so much congestion there.

Ian Speed ● 4040d

No. They all seem frightened to have a view that doesn't upset some officer.

Vanessa Smith ● 4041d

Indeed.  And from an officer perspective, with targets to meet and the perennial threat of cuts looming ever large, one can understand why the notion of justifying their continued existence by generating an ongoing income in this way might appeal.But from a residents' perspective public safety must surely be the priority, and one would expect elected members to stress this point.  Has this been the case to your knowledge?

Phil Andrews ● 4041d

Surely not? Perish the thought! How could we even think it?

Vanessa Smith ● 4041d

It makes you wonder whether the prospect of creating a new income stream for the Council hasn't been given precedence over public safety here.

Phil Andrews ● 4041d

It now appears that the CCTV experiment is to run for three months! Can no-one see that you can fine drivers 'til the cows come home but how does that impact on road safety?

Vanessa Smith ● 4043d