Rat-runners and bad school parkers targets of council experiment

MEASURES BROUGHT IN ON FOUR STREETS TO TACKLE PROBLEMS

FOUR streets in Leicester’s Evington ward are undergoing trial closures that could become permanent.

Gamel Road, Greystone Avenue, Davenport Road and Newhaven Road are subject to new rules from this week in an attempt to stop “ratrunning” – the use of residential streets as a short-cut by motorists.

The closures will not prevent access to any homes or businesses, but will mean the streets cannot be used as short-cuts.

The city council’s aim is to reduce speeds and congestion and the measures – all of which are experimental – will see barriers at strategic points to stop through-traffic, while one-way systems will be trialled.

In addition, bollards and fences will be installed in three other streets in the neighbourhood with the aim of stopping “inappropriate” parking.

The trial follows consultation with residents and schools on ways to reduce congestion, tackle problem parking and limit traffic speeds.

The changes, which were implemented at the weekend, will see the following:

Gamel Road will be made oneway from Davenport Road to Skampton Road, to help reduce congestion.

Greystone Avenue will be closed to traffic entering from Uppingham Road. Motorists will still be able to exit Greystone Avenue on to Uppingham Road. This should reduce ratrunning while still allowing residents access to Uppingham Road.

■ Davenport Road will be closed between its junctions with Oakside Crescent and Beechwood Close. This will mean the need for a secondary closure from the eastern end of Oakside Crescent on to Davenport Road. This should reduce the speed of traffic and rat-running along the length of Davenport Road.

■ The existing Newhaven Road closure will be moved to just south of its junction with Chatteris Avenue. This will reduce the speed of traffic and rat-running along the length of Newhaven Road.

■ Low fencing and bollards will be installed along stretches of Whitehall Road, Chatteris Road and Downing Drive to prevent parking on grass verges.

All of the measures are being introduced experimentally to address residents’ concerns.

Adam Clarke, deputy city mayor, said: “We’re trying out these measures after listening to residents in response to the traffic problems they have told us about. A similar scheme is currently under way in Knighton.

“All of these measures are experimental, so they can be changed or removed over time. We want to see how it goes and whether they make a positive difference.

“Making our neighbourhoods safer and healthier is a priority for us as we tackle the climate emergency.

“People should not have to put up with cars speeding through residential streets, or having their roads blocked by thoughtless school-run parking.

“Parents have told us that they would be more inclined to let their children walk or cycle to school if there was less traffic.

“By working together with people and ward councillors, we are introducing changes that will make residential streets safer, reduce congestion and help to improve air quality, benefitting both our personal health and wellbeing, and that of our city.”

Ongoing discussions with residents about the experimental measures began in September when leaflets outlining the proposals were distributed and people were invited to on-street roadshows.

A formal consultation on whether to make the proposals permanent will begin once the results and feedback from the experimental phase are available.