Dear Transport Planning Team,
Better Ealing Streets welcomes the council’s proposals to improve Elthorne Park Road and Leighton Road. We appreciate the time and effort that has gone into developing a thoughtful and balanced approach to addressing long-standing issues in this area. These problems were clearly identified in the 2019 Liveable West Ealing consultation, and we are pleased to see steps finally being taken to tackle them. The proposed measures are a positive step toward making these streets safer, healthier, and more accessible for people walking, wheeling, and cycling.
We are supportive of:
· Improved pedestrian crossings, which will make these streets more accessible and reduce danger, particularly for children and older residents.
· Traffic calming measures, which acknowledge the need to address high traffic volumes and speed in the area.
· Community space enhancements, which provide an opportunity for a more pleasant public realm.
However, through discussions with local residents and stakeholders, it is clear that many feel the proposals do not yet go far enough to reduce traffic volumes and improve safety across the wider area. We urge the council to consider the following refinements and additions in this phase:
1. Addressing High Levels of Through Traffic
We fully support the council’s recognition that these roads suffer from excessive traffic, with over 1 million vehicle trips per year—60% of which are through traffic. However, to achieve meaningful change, further steps must be taken to prevent through-routes from remaining attractive to drivers.
· Additional traffic reduction measures should be considered beyond the immediate scope of this project to further reduce vehicle volumes across the wider area. This was a major concern raised by residents in the consultation.
· Commitment to an ongoing review of surrounding roads, ensuring this scheme doesn’t stop at Elthorne Park and Leighton Roads but considers the full impact across Northfields.
2. Strengthening Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure
The council’s own data shows that cycling rates in this area are significantly higher than the Ealing average, yet this is not reflected in the proposed improvements. To truly support active travel, we urge the council to:
Prevent pavement parking: Pavement parking has caused severe damage in the area. Bollards should be installed on Northfields between Seaford Road and Hessel Road to prevent vehicles mounting the pavement near the zebra crossing
Repair damaged walking infrastructure: Several pavements have been left in poor condition due to vehicle overrun and should be prioritised for resurfacing.
Install more buildouts to shorten crossing distances and improve pedestrian visibility. While the proposals detail pavement widening at the width restriction near Coldershaw, there should be build-outs and crossings around the largest trees along Elthorne Park Road, and near sideroads such as St Kilda, Burns/Sydney Adelaide on the eastern end of Leighton Road.
Implement better cycling safety measures:
· “Do Not Overtake Cyclists” signs should be installed on key sections of the road, particularly where carriageway width is limited.
· Ensuring continuous cycle routes that connect to Boston Road’s planned cycle infrastructure will be crucial for uptake.
Realign the Leighton Road/Northfields Avenue junction to a perpendicular layout to reduce traffic speeds and shorten pedestrian crossing distances.
· We feel Option A (closing Seaford Road south) has the best outcome for pedestrians, as it aligns with natural crossing routes, sees a calmer crossing point at Seaford Road north, and avoids compromised sightlines for drivers turning left from Seaford on to Leighton.
· Design the zebra crossing outside The Forester and the raised crossing at Northfields Avenue to prioritise pedestrians, or better still, raise the whole section with different paving. This will prioritise pedestrians, provide direct and accessible crossings, and calm traffic while enhancing connections between the triangle and the shop parade.
Tree planting in carriageways: This would not only improve the public realm providing greenery, shade and opportunities for drainage, but also help naturally slow vehicle speeds, making the streets safer for everyone.
3. A Bold Long-Term Vision for the Wider Area
While these proposals offer initial improvements, they must be part of a broader rethink of traffic and public space across Northfields.
Many respondents raised concerns about traffic displacement and long-standing congestion across adjacent roads. We ask the council to commit to:
· A clear long-term plan for reducing through traffic across the wider area.
· Further consultation with residents on surrounding roads to ensure ongoing improvements.
Swyncombe Avenue: While this is outside Ealing’s direct control, we urge the council to take a clear position in discussions with Hounslow.
· The data shows that reduced traffic on Swyncombe has not simply been displaced—a large proportion of journeys have disappeared altogether.
· Reopening Swyncombe risks attracting more driving overall, not just redistributing it. This would likely increase congestion and undermine efforts to reduce traffic on Haslemere, Elthorne Park Road, and beyond.
· The real opportunity is to expand on these successes—not reverse them.
Conclusion
We are pleased to support these proposals and believe they will bring real benefits to local residents. However, to ensure long-term success, we urge the council to consider additional measures to reduce through traffic, improve cycling safety, and expand improvements across a wider area.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback. We would welcome further discussions on how these measures can be strengthened to create safer, healthier streets for all.
Best regards,
Better Ealing Streets
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