Furious residents have banded together to oppose plans for what they say could be “deadly” road alterations near a highly populated school in Twickenham.
The Copthall Gardens Residents’ Association recently held a meeting with all three ward councillors and planning officers in a bid to have the proposals to change where Clifden Road meets their street into a T-junction axed.
St Richard Reynolds Catholic College, which is just beside the junction, currently has 950 students but the figure is expected to rise to 1,500 in the next two years.
The group believe the changes, which include narrowing Clifden Road, adding inset parking to it and removing parking on the bend, will direct more traffic down Copthall Gardens and “risk the lives” of pupils walking in the area.
An 11-year-old pupil, who attended the residents meeting with her parents, already had a close call in the area.
Olivia Lloyd said: “I wanted to know what the council was going to do about slowing down cars in Copthall Gardens because I was almost knocked down.”
The plans
Member of the Residents’ Association and resident of Copthall Gardens Byron Young said: “They say it’s dangerous to have a blind corner but turning it into a straight road will only result in cars going faster.
“Directing more traffic down a road already congested with several hundred school children is a deadly cocktail that we fear could cost a child their life.
“Richard Reynolds numbers are exploding and it will become the largest college in the borough within two years.
“We understand children have to come down Copthall Gardens to and from the college but if you re-design the roads outside so ours becomes a straight-line race track the consequences don’t bear thinking about.
“Kids wander down the road every day excitedly chatting, texting or playing games
“The college has been calling for lollipop ladies/men for several months and repeatedly turned down.”
The group is also calling on the council to reduce the speed limit in the area from 30mph to 20mph.
Twickenham Riverside Councillor Susan Chappell, who attended the residents’ meeting, assured the RTT the council was working with everyone involved to achieve the “best possible solution”.
She said: “We are looking at all views and making sure we come up with the best possible solution.
“There are issues with safety in the area as it is and we are having an ongoing consultation with residents.”
The group will be handing in a petition to the council oppose the changes this week.
Mr Young said the school does not have a travel plan in place yet and the council should wait until it is presented.
He said: “That is six months away at least.
“They admit they even don’t have comprehensive data yet. Their own survey is incomplete.
“We are saying ‘appoint the safety officers, collate the data and then decide what to do’.
“Clifden is far more suitable for cars if the kids come down our road.”
He added he is “optimistic” the ward councillors will listen to residents “and stop this madness in its tracks”.
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