Bexley Council’s Traffic Order to unilaterally introduce a ‘no right turn’ from Footscray Road on to County Gate has been withdrawn, thanks to all the objections sent in from New Eltham residents and Conservative councillors concerned about the impact this will have on the Greenwich side of the boundary.
The proposal for a no-right-turn on to County Gate from Bexley Council would have pushed even more A20-bound traffic onto Mervyn, Thaxted, Gerda, Cadwallon, Larchwood and other New Eltham roads on the Greenwich side of the borough boundary.
Conservative councillors Matt Hartley and Roger Tester lobbied Bexley Council directly to withdraw the proposal, successfully persuaded Greenwich Council to mount a formal objection, and campaigned to secure the maximum number of objections from New Eltham residents to the Traffic Order when it was published without warning late last year.
Writing in a letter updating residents on the news, Councillor Matt Hartley and Councillor Roger Tester said: "As we all know, our local traffic problems affect roads along the whole of the A20, not just County Gate, which is the one New Eltham road that Bexley Council happens to be responsible for. The problem of traffic cutting through County Gate is intolerable for the people living there, but this is a problem that affects ALL of the roads between Footscray, Southwood and the A20, not just County Gate.
"We are pleased that Bexley Council listened to the arguments against proceeding unilaterally like this. As your local Conservative councillors we are pushing Greenwich and Bexley Councils to winstead ork together on solutions to traffic problems along the WHOLE of the A20.
"We are also continuing to chase up Greenwich Council’s long-delayed response to traffic petitions and representations from across Mottingham, Coldharbour and New Eltham, including the petition from Larchwood Road resdients, and we will keep residents updated on this."