Neighbourhoods in Hammersmith and College Park are set to benefit from quieter streets as H&F Council introduces new protections. From 7 October, trials using smart camera technology will target excessive out-of-borough traffic on two residential roads: Weltje Road in Hammersmith W6 and Letchford Gardens in College Park NW10.
These trials are a response to repeated calls from local residents seeking to improve road safety and reduce pollution. The neighbourhood improvement schemes are part of a broader initiative by the council to combat congestion and air pollution, while also enhancing conditions for walking and cycling.
Cllr Nicole Trehy, H&F Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Travel, stated: "These two new neighbourhood improvement trials – designed with and by residents – tackle long-standing congestion, noise, pollution and safety issues. They use the latest smart camera technology to discourage out-of-borough motorists from using residential streets as cut-throughs while allowing residents and their visitors full access." She added that the aim is to significantly reduce traffic and improve residents' quality of life, citing similar successful schemes elsewhere in the borough.
The trial cameras in Weltje Road and Letchford Gardens will identify and penalise out-of-borough drivers using these roads as shortcuts to avoid main routes, a practice exacerbated by satnav technology. H&F residents with permits, Business Permit holders, emergency services, black taxis, Royal Mail drivers, and registered council contractors will be able to pass through the cameras without penalty. Visitors and deliveries can also avoid charges by registering via the RingGo app.
The neighbourhood improvement trials are scheduled to last for 18 months. During this period, residents and businesses will be consulted before a final decision is made on whether to make the schemes permanent. Currently, thousands of vehicles use Weltje Road and Letchford Gardens daily, with approximately 90 per cent originating from outside the borough.
A resident of Weltje Road, David Bartlett, described the daily impact: "Every single day there's car horns, littering and shouting from the cars and lorries. It starts to become traumatic, exhausting, nerve-shredding."
The schemes are part of wider efforts to make H&F a stronger, safer, and kinder borough. New rain gardens will be created in both neighbourhoods to help mitigate flooding and pollution. Dr Angela Aramburo, a paediatric consultant and resident of Weltje Road, highlighted the health benefits, stating: "Traffic pollution harms children's lung development. Cutting through-traffic here is a straightforward way to protect their health and safety."
These trials follow the successful implementation of similar neighbourhood improvement schemes in South Fulham and Rivercourt Road, which have now been made permanent.
