met, Enfield bans get GLC's blessin
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LANS FOR a lorry ban in the London Boroughs of Barnet and infield look set to go ahead, five years before the M25 orbital route S completed.
The Greater London Council's alarming and communications )olicy committee last week ap)roved plans for a ban on hrough traffic of lorries over 7.5 onnes gross weight in an area )ounded by the Al, M25, A10, md A406, as soon as the A1/A10 iection of the M25 is opened in ieptember or October this year.
And it has endorsed Council )fficers' opinion that there is no idvantage to be gained from vaiting until the M25 link from he A10 to the Dartford Tunnel is :omplete, probably in 1986 at he earliest, as few vehicles vould be diverted as a result.
The ban, which will be reriewed after three months, and 3gain after nine months, will cost £35,820 to introduce, and will force up to 3,500 lorries a day to find other routes. According to the GLC, .about 3,000 of these would use the new section of the M25 instead.
Only through traffic will be banned, as vehicles requiring access for delivery and collection will still gain entry, and a high load route has been designated for vehicles over 15ft 9in height to avoid low bridges on the North Circular Road.
While the scheme has the support of residents in the area covered by the ban, those living outside the region fear that traffic in their areas could increase, and the Metropolitan Police has registered its doubts about the scheme.
Commissioner Sir David NcNee told the GLC: "This appears to be the revival of a scheme first considered early in 1978, but dismissed as too large to be effective. I cannot see any factors which would now alter that original decision, and am therefore surprised that the matter has been reintroduced."
The police are concerned that a reduction in the flow of lorries will increase the speed of other traffic, and so cause more accidents, and also believe that the ban, because of the access proposals, will be difficult to enforce. "Of necessity, at present, senior officers of police districts give such measures a low priority, all spare capacity being now concentrated on unlawful parking," Sir David said. An he added: "The scheme will clearly put additional mileage and journey times on a large number of commercial vehicles, which would appear to be irresponsible in the present economic climate and contrary to the spirit of fuel saving."
According to the GLC, the scheme has attracted 534 letters and eight petitions in favour, and 345 letters and two petitions against.
Freight Transport Association planning and traffic services controller Richard Turner told CM he was still unhappy that the ban is being introduced before the effects of the new section of M25 are assessed. He suggested that traffic congestion in the Southgate and Enfield areas will decrease once the motorway opens, and said: "It is a poor show when we are building new roads, yet not giving them a chance."