Chestnut Grove & Boundaries Road - Road Safety & Public Realm Improvements

Overview

Wandsworth Council has developed proposals to improve road safety and public realm on the streets surrounding Chestnut Grove Academy and Hornsby House Schools.

The Council is committed to making the streets outside our schools safer and healthier for children, parents, and residents. In accordance with the Council’s Walking & Cycling Strategy the objective of our proposals is to make it easier and safer for children to travel to and from school, encourage the use of more sustainable modes of travel and improve the local streetscape.

Over 200 people signed a petition last year asking the Council to enhance road safety and prioritise the installation of crossing facilities to accommodate students who use both Boundaries Road and Chestnut Grove for their journeys to and from local schools. In response, officers studied local roads and found that pedestrians (particularly students) find it difficult to cross both Chestnut Grove and Boundaries Road, and cyclists are discouraged from using these roads due to the current double mini roundabout arrangement.

Proposed improvements:

Concerns over road safety and requests for the addition of crossing facilities have prompted the Council to put forward improvement measures for implementation as described below and further illustrated on the plan here. 

1. Remove the existing mini roundabout at Chestnut Grove junction with Endlesham Road. This would involve widening the footway here, improving visibility, reducing crossing distances and installing a sustainable urban drainage system in the form of rain gardens. Rain gardens work by reducing the flow rate of surface water reducing the impact of flooding in urban areas by allowing local flora and fauna to absorb water
2. Install a new zebra crossing facility on the existing raised table outside Chestnut Grove Academy
3. Remove the existing mini roundabout at Chestnut Grove junction with Boundaries Road and replace with a new raised zebra crossing

The following supplementary measures are being proposed to facilitate the safe installation of the new raised zebra crossing and removal of the mini roundabout at Chestnut Grove/Boundaries Road, as outlined in proposal 3 above. 

4. Introduction of a short section of one way (east to west) on Boundaries Road between its junctions with Rowfant Road and Balham Park Road. A No Entry except cyclists is proposed on Boundaries Road junction with Rowfant Road, permitting cyclists to travel contraflow to motor traffic. To accommodate the new No Entry and contraflow cycling, approximately 15 metres of on street paid for and residents parking will be removed from Boundaries Road.

5. Introduction of a time-restricted banned right turn from Chestnut Grove onto Boundaries Road from 7am–9am and 3pm–6pm Monday to Friday to cover school opening and closing times. This measure should reduce the volume of motor traffic travelling into Boundaries Road, making it safer for all those that will be using the new crossing, reducing the risk of collisions and fail-to-stop eventualities. The Council will monitor and review the timed restriction post installation of the scheme.

How will the above measures enhance road safety and the public realm?

• Introducing measures that are supported by local people and schools
• Streets that prioritise travel to and from school, meeting the objectives set out in the Council’s Walking and Cycling Strategy
• Safer streets – addressing concerns around accessibility and lack of crossing facilities
• Streets that encourage sustainable and cleaner methods of travel like walking and cycling – addressing concerns around poor air quality outside schools and enabling increased physical activity
• Streets that create a cleaner, greener environment through improved footways and greening

Have your say

The Council is carrying out a public consultation to gather feedback on the proposals set out above. We are aware that the two local schools support the measures, but we are keen to hear the views of all those who may be impacted by our proposals. Please give us your feedback by clicking on the Online Survey link below.

If you have any queries or require a paper copy of the survey or a different language/format, please email tabrez.hussain@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk, call 020 8487 5338 or write to: Tabrez Hussain, Tadmore House, Frogmore Complex, Dormay Street, London, SW18 1EY

If you would like to meet council officers and discuss the proposals in further detail, you can do so in person at one of our consultation drop-in sessions, to be held at Chestnut Grove Academy on:

Tuesday 5 December 5-8pm

Saturday 9 December 12-4pm

Officers will be available to answer any questions you may have and we look forward to seeing you.

 What happens next

At the end of the consultation period, a report will be presented to the Cabinet Member for Transport, outlining feedback received during the public consultation stage. If approved, the proposals are expected to be installed in early 2024, fully funded through the Council’s agreed budget for the installation of pedestrian crossing facilities.