Busy crossing in Prince of Wales Road: close enough to use but not to have a say

• IF you live 240 metres or more from a traffic scheme put out to consultation, you are not entitled to have an opinion.

Let me explain. Readers, especially those who live close to Prince of Wales Road and have reason to cross it, may be interested to know the current situation on its scheme to build a cycle lane for westbound cycles.

No mention was made in the consultation document that nine out of the 11 traffic islands along the half-mile stretch from Haverstock Hill to the railway bridge by Talacre would be removed.

A matter of enormous importance to pedestrians, not least parents of school children, the young, old and disabled.

I took the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman. This is their “Decision” just received:

The complaint:

Mr X complained the council excluded important information when it consulted on a proposed cycle lane scheme.

He said the council failed to include details that the scheme involved the removal of nine of the eleven existing traffic islands.

Mr X said the removal of the traffic islands would make the road dangerous to cross for people living in the area.

Mr X would like the council to re-run the consultation and make it clear what the project entails.

This would allow people to comment of the scheme in full knowledge of the facts.

The Ombudsman’s final decision:

Summary: We have discontinued our investigation into Mr X’s complaint about the council’s consultation on a proposed cycle lane scheme.

Given the distance Mr X lives from the proposed scheme [240 m in a later para], it is unlikely the council’s actions caused him a significant injustice.

We have not exercised our discretion to look at how the matter affected (or will affect) other members of the public, because there is no significant evidence that anyone else has, or may have, experienced any injustice either.

Of those nine islands, five have now been removed. There remain two to go at the Malden Road junction, one on Talacre Road and this busy one near the bridge.

You have been warned.

NICK HARDING
St Ann’s Gardens, NW5