A special item at QPARA’s monthly meeting on 8th October discussed Brent’s proposals for LTN19 Queen’s Park / Brondesbury Park and LTN20 Kilburn (which includes some streets east of Salusbury Road). Some 90 members and other residents who attended heard updates on the latest position and expressed continued strong concern at the lack of consultation on the proposed scheme (see News article 30 Sept explaining QPARA’s stance).
Members of QPARA’s Streetscape Group had taken part in a Brent Council briefing for residents’ groups on 22 September. This revealed that LT19 would now be phased, with only the closure of Tiverton Road at the Chevening bridge junction being implemented first and other changes placed on hold unless ‘needed’ in future. In contrast, all the planned closures in LT20 would proceed as planned originally. Maps of these two updated proposals were shown.
QPARA pressed Brent for the official notes of the meeting and the maps for over three weeks since the 22nd. The notes finally arrived on 14th October (but no maps) confirming the ‘Tiverton only’ proposal for LT19, for the present, but also now showing that point closures on Victoria and Donaldson roads in LT20 were now on hold. Other point closures in LT19 outside QPARA’s area would proceed (for example Brondesbury Villas, causing concern to QPARA members in Brondesbury Road due to displaced traffic). No firm dates were given for any closures. The notes also showed that closures would now be reviewed at 2 and 4 months rather than at only 6 months intervals as envisaged before. There were still no plans to consult on schemes in advance, as this was to follow once implemented, running in parallel. Without updated maps yet provided by Brent, out website can show only the out of date originals .
Hearing news of the changes and also that many members had collected figures on the mass of vehicles entering Queen’s Park area in the morning peak, the meeting on 8 October agreed immediate actions. Again putting on record strong concerns about the lack of prior consultation, it was agreed to fund Traffic Engineer expertise to advise QPARA if needed, and in addition to make a submission to an upcoming Extraordinary Meeting of Brent Council 16 September.
The Council had given no real notice of this special meeting, and certainly none to interested parties including residents’ associations, even when these were actively engaged in LTN issues. On 14 October QPARA’s Chair Virginia Brand therefore submitted a formal letter to the Meeting on behalf of the association. It was circulated to all Brent councillors, and complained about the inadequate consultation process, the lack of data or projections to show how the schemes would impact, the absence of assessment on consequences for disabled people and the lack of consultation about the Meeting itself (live streamed at http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=180&MId=6345&Ver=4 ).
The Meeting approved a motion endorsing going ahead with LTNs but QPARA awaits clarification on its full meaning.
