Richmond council to look into keeping HGVs out of the High Street and off The Terrace
Story 185: Small but significant step forward
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Richmond council has agreed to examine whether the weight limit for lorries using Barnes High Street and The Terrace should be reduced.
At present, vehicles of up to 18 tonnes are allowed in certain circumstances. In practice, that rule appears to be ignored far too often.
The issue came before the council’s Transport and Air Quality Committee during discussion of a petition from Barnes Community Association, which calls for the weight limit to be lowered to 7.5 tonnes.
At the end of the discussion on Monday 16 March, Councillor Alexander Ehmann, chair of the committee, said the council was already working on the issue.
He said that followed representations from local councillors, as well as the recent audit that led to the pedestrian initiative, which had also flagged concerns about HGVs.
Councillor Ehmann said officers had already developed some options, with further work still to come. He said he hoped these could be shared with councillors, ‘partners and others’ by the end of May.
After that, and subject to feedback, he said he hoped the council would consult the community following the May elections.
You can see the whole discussion here,
Notes & thoughts
This is encouraging. Bridged2050 believes The Terrace is the most under-appreciated road in Barnes relative to its potential.
It suggests the argument about heavy through-traffic in Barnes is no longer sitting only with campaigners and residents. It is now being taken seriously inside the council too.
Two further thoughts stand out.
First, timing matters. The May elections could, in theory, produce a different controlling party. That does look improbable, given that the Liberal Democrats currently hold 49 of the council’s 54 seats, with the remaining five held by the Green Party.
Second, enforcement will be crucial. Councillor Ehmann briefly acknowledged that point in his comments. He was right to do so. Any proposal announced in May will need to say not just what the new rule is, but how it would actually be enforced.
Because without that, Barnes risks ending up with another restriction that looks firm on a road sign and feels optional on the street.