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Robin
Hood gate closure put on hold due to legal
threat
Plans by the Royal Parks to close Richmond
Park's Robin Hood Gate on April 2 have
been put on hold after the council said
it was ready to seek a judicial review
of the decision.
Top
officials from the Government agency have
now agreed to a meeting on March 22 to
hear the council's case.
It
means the closure will be put off until
the end of April at the earliest. The
council will issue legal proceedings immediately
following the meeting if its concerns
cannot be resolved. This could mean the
closure being delayed for several months.
Wandsworth
fears that shutting off access to the
gate will force park users who live in
the borough to divert through the Alton
estate and Clarence Lane in order to enter
at Roehampton Gate.
Town-bound
commuters who currently come off the A3
at Robin Hood gate will also be tempted
to rat-run through another part of the
estate to avoid queues at the junction
of Roehampton Lane with Roehampton Vale.
The council believe that stopping drivers
coming in from the A3 will only cut traffic
in the park by five per cent. They are
suggesting that the agency must look at
other ways of achieving this reduction
before imposing such a drastic solution
including monitoring of the new 20mph
speed limits and proper enforcement.
Residents
in Alton Road could see traffic doubling
in this residential area which includes
a primary school and a blind persons'
home.
Cabinet
member for regeneration and transport
Kathy Tracey said the council believed
the agency was rushing to close the gate
when it had not considered the alternatives:
"The
closure will affect people who come to
the park for pleasure and those who live
nearby who will have to suffer monstrous
increases in traffic thundering past their
front doors. "
She
added that she was pleased that the Royal Parks had backed down
on the closure date and said that "we will not hesitate to
press ahead with a High Court action if the meeting planned for
March 22 does not remove our concerns."
Comments
from the
Forum
Council
concerns for residents should Robin Hood Gate be closed.
Change
to RPA status fuels concerns over future
access to Richmond Park.
Details
of the Proposals made by the Friends of
Richmond Park
More
arguements against closure of the gates
The
RPA response to the issue
Peter
Duffy argues against the plans for restricting
traffic in Richmond Park
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