Local Catholic Church Fights Back Over Super Cycle Highway

Pavement would be reduced outside Our Lady of Grace entrance for cyclists

CGI of Chiswick High Road near Dukes Avenue and the church

The clergy at the Church of Our Lady of Grace & St Edward have expressed concern over the impact of the proposed cycle superhighway. The design will reduce the available pavement outside the main entrance of the church on Chiswick High Road by two-thirds, an area where people congregate after Mass and other services. You can read about their campaign on their Facebook page

The parish priest, Father Michael Dunne attended the Chiswick Area Forum meeting last night (Tuesday, September 26th along with a group of parishioners to tell Transport for London ( TfL) that there was an annual footfall of 100,000 on that pavement which would be "deeply impacted" by a reduction of two-thirds of the pavement.

"The Catholic community has used this area for over 150 years. We would argue that we have a right of way."

Parishioners who file out of the church after Sunday Mass generally congregate outside the main entrance to chat to the priests and to other parishioners. People also congregate in that area after events such as weddings, funerals and First Communions. Access will also be reduced for funeral limousines as bearers would have to bring coffins across the planned cycle track.

Parishioners have been urged express their concerns by responding to the consultation on the plan.

"Please look at the proposals and consider the impact on Sunday Mass congregations gathering on the pavement; First Holy Communion and solemn liturgical processions; funerals and weddings, and access of bearers and limousines. The proposed cycle superhighway, going both ways, will claim right of way. Access to and from Chiswick High Road will be affected; Dukes Avenue will become entry only, and Duke Road will become exit only."

The TfL representative said that the transport company would be willing to meet with a group from Our Lady of Grace to discuss the issue.Sunday parking restrictions are also likely to be introduced, and traffic changes to Dukes Avenue, are also likely to affect churchgoers.

Fr Michael wrote in his weekend newsletter that the news of the changes had had a wide ranging effect. "Even former parishioners have heard about this prospective trauma. One wrote to me: 'It grieves me to imagine that when my mother died we would have to dodge cyclists to take her coffin from the hearse into the church. Or when I got married and got out of my car in my wedding dress and had to be careful of cyclists. Not to mention gathering outside after Mass and have bikes whizzing past.' "

The consultation on the cycle highway leading from Kensington Olympia to Brentford is now available for public comment and this consultation closes on 31 October.

Cycle Superhighway 9 (CS9) is part of a wider network of similar routes. TfL in cooperation with Hounslow Council are still drawing up plans for an extension of the route from Brentford to Hounslow.

CGI of the proposals, looking north-east along South Circular Road from Kew Bridge Road

Some of the changes proposed to local roads include banning manoeuvres and other changes at the Chiswick High Road/Goldhawk Road junction to help traffic flow around the proposed cycle track.

CGI of Chiswick High Road looking west from Cleveland Avenue

Parking will also be affected. Some single yellow lines will be replaced with double yellow lines, no parking at any time except in marked bays.

Further details with maps and images available on the TfL website.

Click here for larger version of this map

The CS9 is part of the Mayor's draft Transport Strategy and Healthy Streets project which aims to encourage walking, cycling and using public transport. TfL say it will provide improvement for all road users and offer a clearer and safer route for people to cycle in West London, make it easier to cross busy roads, and remove traffic on some residential roads.

You can let TfL know your views on these proposals by taking part in their online survey.

Alternatively, you can:

Email consultations@tfl.gov.uk

Write to FREEPOST TFL CONSULTATIONS (CS9)

You can also request paper copies of plans and a response form, copies in Braille, large text or another language using the above contact information.

October 2, 2017