Drop-in Events to Be Held on Hogarth Roundabout Plan

Opponents describe new layout as 'dangerous and unworkable'

Access to Hogarth Roundabout from Church Street would be ended

August 4, 2024

As part of its ongoing consultation into proposals for changes to the layout of roads around Hogarth Roundabout, Transport for London (TfL) is holding a series of public drop-in events over the next few weeks.

These will provide an opportunity to learn more about the scheme which would introduce an extra lane on the A4 westbound on the approach to the roundabout and close access to Church Street. Comments on these proposals must be provided before Thursday 5 September and can be given by responding to a survey which TfL says will take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

Thanks to the intervention of local councillors, TfL has increased the number of drop-in sessions from two to four. They are taking place at Hogarth’s House on Hogarth Lane by the A4 at the following dates and times:

Saturday 10 August: 9.30am-12.30pm

Tuesday 20 August: 4pm-7pm

Thursday 29 August: 3pm-7pm

Monday 2 September: 3pm-7pm

TfL says that it is making changes to increase safety at Hogarth Roundabout which it describes as being in the top 10 per cent of junctions in London in terms of road safety risk. Between July 2022 and June 2023 there were 18 slight and three serious casualties of which six involved motorbikes, one of which resulted in serious injury.

It also believes the addition of an extra lane to allow the creation of a dedicated left-turn lane into the A316 will improve the flow of traffic for motorists using the roundabout. TfL says the extra lane is necessary because a large number of HGVs use the roundabout and they currently need to take up more than one lane which can increase the risk of collisions. Providing extra capacity on the roundabout will allow it to be widened to reduce the need to take up two lanes.

Access to Hogarth Roundabout from Church Street would be ended

Some critics of the scheme have said that TfL’s motivation for proposing the changes is not primarily safety but a need to increase capacity at the junction. Long eastbound and westbound queues on the A4 have become commonplace at this point as traffic recovers to pre-Covid levels and Heathrow airport passenger numbers reach record levels.

The Old Chiswick Protection Society has published a detailed report into its reasons for objecting to the proposals saying it will have an ‘extremely detrimental’ effect on hundreds of people. It argues that closing access to Hogarth Roundabout from Church Street is unnecessary claiming that the only reason TfL has chosen to do this is to enable pedestrians and cyclists to access the underpass without leaving a pavement and without having to cross the top of Church Street. However, it says there is no record of collisions occurring at the entry to Church Street and the stated main purpose of the new road scheme is to reduce collisions on the junction to the A316.

The slip road in front of brewery will be incorporated into A4

The society argues that the alternative proposed switchback u-turn from is dangerous. The manoeuvre involving vehicles being stationary before the attempted turn, or a 3-point-turn backing on to the A316, or mounting the pavement. In addition, it describes the proposed exit route from Church Street via Burlington Lane as ‘dangerous and unworkable’ as there is not sufficient space in front of the pub for two-way operation of traffic. TfL is suggesting vehicles carry out a u-turn at the right hand turn box just in front of the ramp up to the Hogarth Flyover.

For those vehicles unable or unwilling to use these manoeuvres, closing Church Street could block access for residents, visitors, people attending St Nicholas Church services, funerals and weddings, brewery workers, deliveries and refuse and recycling vehicles.

At high tides, the junction of Chiswick Mall and Chiswick Lane South is blocked by flood water and impassable145 days. When this happens, there would be no access to western Chiswick Mall or Church Street from the eastern entry points, including for emergency vehicles.

With Church Street blocked, some drivers of vehicles unable to navigate the tight turn at Burlington Lane could choose to enter Old Chiswick via the eastern end of Netheravon Road South. If you are approaching from the west this requires crossing three lanes of westbound A4 traffic. The alternative is to travel on the eastbound A4 to Hammersmith Bridge, take the right u-turn and travel back along the westbound A4 which would be a 2.5 mile diversion typically taking 20 to 30 minutes.

Detail of designs released by TfL as part of the consultation

The society says that access from the westbound A4 would increase from South Black Lion Lane, Eyot Gardens or Netheravon Road South which are largely narrow, residential streets with on-street parking. Access to western Chiswick Mall or Church Street, it would involve illegally driving through the “No Entry” sign at the bottom of Chiswick Lane South.

The society anticipates a ‘huge increase’ in traffic on Hammersmith Mall and eastern Chiswick Mall with Hammersmith Mall, in particular, likely to struggle to cope with due to its narrowness and on street parking.

The society has questioned TfL claims about the safety of Hogarth Roundabout. While it admits minor collisions have taken place it has made a Freedom of Information requests for more details of serious collisions at the location and verification of TfL claims that most occurred in the vicinity of Church Street.

It also questions that the layout changes will reduce collisions pointing out the risk of the new design increasing the number of occasions when traffic backs up to the roundabout from the A316 due to reducing the two-lane slip road to a single lane.

A new single lane slip road would lead directly to the A316 (Burlington Lane)

The society proposes new signage on the westbound A4, west of the Hammersmith Flyover indicating that the left lane is only for traffic intending to turn left at the roundabout. It says this would increase safety without the need to add an extra lane or close Church Street access.

Overview of TfL's plan for Hogarth Roundabout. Click here for larger version

As well as responding to the survey you can also give feedback by emailing haveyoursay@tfl.gov.uk or calling 020 3054 6037 to leave your name and contact number and quoting 'Hogarth Roundabout' when leaving your message and TfL will call you back. In addition you can write to: Freepost TfL Have your say (Hogarth Roundabout).