Low Traffic Neighbourhood in South Chiswick reduces traffic by nearly a third

Sign on the A316 indicating no left turn from Chiswick Bridge into Grove Park except for permit holders

Figures just published show the controversial traffic scheme has reduced the volume of traffic in Grove Park by 28%

Traffic officers at Hounslow Council have published an analysis of the data on traffic volumes and speeds for the South Chiswick ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’.

A Low Traffic Neighbourhood was introduced in 2020 in the attempt to stop drivers using the Grove Park area between the A4 and the river as a rat run to shave a few minutes off their journey.

Drivers coming over Chiswick Bridge can no longer turn off the A316 into Hartington Lane or Staveley Road during the day without a permit, or into Burlington Lane from the A316 at all. They now have to go from Chiswick Bridge to the Hogarth Roundabout to get to the A4. Nor can drivers turn onto the A4 from Harvard Hill.

Grove Park Road, which continues west into Thames Road and east into Hartington Road beside the River Thames

The scheme was controversial and there are still aspects residents would like to change

The changes were highly controversial, as residents found them very confusing, penalising their visitors and tradesmen as well as commuters passing through, and businesses such as Annie’s restaurant on Strand on the Green blamed them for a significant loss of custom. Uber drivers refused to come into Grove Park beyond a certain point.

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South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood map

Six years on, things have settled down. Residents have got used to the changes, though there are still irritating niggles. In a survey carried out by the Grove Park Group last year residents were more concerned about traffic speeds than traffic volume. The residents’ association decided it had no wish to reopen the whole debate over the traffic scheme’s design, concentrating instead on a few specific improvements to it.

READ ALSO: Dramatic drops in traffic in south Chiswick after introduction of Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes

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The figures LB Hounslow has published, based on data collected at 42 locations around Grove Park, show a 28% decline in traffic volumes between 2019 and 2025, and also a reduction in average speeds.

“Evidence suggests the scheme has delivered safety, active travel, and congestion management benefits and that traffic levels would have been higher had these measures not been implemented”, said a spokesperson for the Council.

LB Hounslow graphs showing reduction in traffic volumes and speeds in South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood

Traffic planners achieved their main aims, though the data throws up some questions

Though the volume of traffic has reduced in most streets, there are a few in which the opposite has happened, and traffic has increased.

The South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood includes the area of Dukes Meadows to the east of the A316. Four of the roads in which traffic has increased are in that area.

It may be that increased traffic on Riverside Drive and The Promenade in Dukes Meadows can be explained by an increase in the use of the sports grounds there. This has no relevance to the main objective of cutting rat running through Grove Park.

Grove Park Bridge – Photograph Marianne Mahaffey

In Grove Park, traffic in Burlington Lane, which runs from Grove Park to the A316 alongside Chiswick School and Chiswick House, was measured at two locations. The data shows the traffic volume has increased at one location – up by 36.7% – and down at the other – by 52.4% at peak hours.

Grove Park Bridge also shows an increased volume of traffic in the detailed analysis, but in the overall summary it is recorded as a decrease (-23.2%). The Chiswick Calendar asked LB Hounslow for clarification on that point.

They told us: ‘Since its publication, we have noticed some errors in the information for individual roads, which are currently being corrected.’

Barrier added to Staveley Road

Traffic on Staveley Road reduced by -87.4%

The most dramatic change has been at Staveley Road, which used to have thousands of cars pouring through it each day. As well as cutting off the traffic flow from the A316 by making that end of it a School Road, the Council put in a barrier to prevent drivers going the whole way along Staveley Road from the A316 to Sutton Court Road.

Staveley Road has seen a drop-off of -87.4% at one point where data was collected, and -59,2% at the other. Nearby roads Park Road, which runs from the A4 to Staveley Road, Eastbourne Road and Chatsworth Road have also seen significant decreases (-46.6%, 77.2% and -70.7% respectively).

No access to the A4 from Harvard Hill

Harvard Hill, Hartington Road and Thames Road

Dramatic changes have also been recorded in the roads which commuters used to use as a cut though by turning onto the A4 at Harvard Hill. The traffic volume in Harvard Hill itself is reported in the overall analysis as down -82.2%, while traffic in Burnaby Gardens is down 68.6% and in Fauconberg Road by -25%.

Similarly, the road where commuters used to turn into Grove Park at the end of Chiswick Bridge, Hartington Road, has also seen a significant decrease in the volume of traffic: down by 50.1%, 51.1% and 44.1% at the three locations where it was measured.

The traffic on Thames Road, a continuation of Hartington Road along the riverside into Strand on the Green to Kew Bridge is recorded confusingly. While the overall analysis shows a decrease (-29.7%), the detailed analysis shows an increase. We have asked LB Hounslow for clarification on this point, and they are looking at it.

As regards speed, though the perception of residents is that there is still too much speeding, the figures show speed levels have been reduced overall, with a few exceptions. Grove Park Gardens is one of them. I wonder if the speed increase of 9.6% recorded is because the road has been resurfaced in the interim and you can now drive down it without risking your suspension.

See the full details of the traffic scheme analysis here: PDF

Information from STATS19, collated by the Department of Transport from Police data on road collisions

Separate figures published by the Department of Transport, taken from Police data, also show that road accidents in which a person has been injured have declined over the past few years.

Grove Park hustings in St Paul’s church, L to R: Conservative councillor Gabriella Giles; Graham Holley, Grove Park Group; Tim Mundem, Chair; Labour councillor Amy Croft; Green party candidate Rick Rowe

South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood an issue in the local election campaign

The traffic scheme came up for discussion at last week’s hustings in Grove Park.

Conservative councillor Gabriella Giles emphasized the areas where results were either inconclusive or where there appeared to be increases in traffic, saying there had been no reduction in traffic on Harvard Hill despite the one way closure, and that there was more traffic going over Grove Park Bridge – both areas where the figures show discrepancies.

Chiswick’s Conservative councillors fought against the introduction of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood and especially against the new barrier in Staveley Road.

Also on the panel were Labour councillor for Chiswick Riverside Amy Croft and Green party candidate Rick Rowe. Both said there were still problems which still needed to be ironed out – the Council’s various computer systems do not talk to each other so although residents have parking permits, they still have to apply separately for an exemption so they can drive along Hartington and Staveley Roads from the A316.

Amy said this was the issue she received most mail about and she had recently secured agreement for the systems to be merged, so this would no longer be an issue, but she had been told it couldn’t be put into effect until the autumn.

READ ALSO: Hounslow promises to end dual registration required for local residents to drive to their homes in Grove Park

Rick said the Council’s data was further proof that Low Traffic Neighbourhoods do work and that can also be seen from the positive impact on air quality.

Cllr Gabriella Giles with Graham Holley at the Grove Park hustings on Thursday 30 April

Effect on Chiswick of the closure of Hammersmith Bridge

Gabriella also said there was an increase in traffic in Grove Park due to increased traffic on Chiswick Bridge since the closure of Hammersmith Bridge.

Though you would think this was an obvious knock-on effect, according to data from Transport for London Chiswick Bridge has seen a decrease in the volume of traffic since Hammersmith Bridge closed.

Freedom of Information requestdisplacement caused by closure of Hammersmith Bridge – response from TfL

It appears to be an example of traffic ‘evaporation’, some drivers giving up on the idea of crossing the river instead of driving to the next location or taking a different route altogether.