A witness representing the local community at the recent, delayed but lengthy public inquiry into the redevelopment of the brewery site focussed on the subjects of traffic and transport. It has always been clear that the local community regards these subjects as seriously concerning and problematic.

One of the chief concerns raised by the witness was the demonstrably poor road safety conditions around the Sheen Lane level crossing area. The community raised the funding for extended video surveys of the area and provided solid evidence to Network Rail and other parties of the current dangers there. We have noted plenty of occasions when vehicles have rushed through the closing barriers causing extra dangers to pedestrians and we revealed to the inquiry the “near miss” incident when a driver-less lorry rolled out from the station entrance across Sheen Lane mercifully just short of the school gates and a congregation of pedestrians. The combination of the immediately adjacent land uses and activities of the primary school, the fencing and timber merchants, the car show room, car park and other retailers together with the rail passengers to and from the station surely justify the adoption of an area improvement plan. Indeed, the Council once had the intention to bring forward such a plan.

In the earlier stages of planning the redevelopment of the brewery, the community secured a meeting with the then local MP, the Council, Network Rail and the developers to find a way of improving safety conditions. At that time, the Network Rail representatives were even unclear about the extent of their organisation’s land ownership. Things may have changed more recently as Network Rail Property is to merge with the Government’s placemaking firm LCR.

Although further meetings were to take place, there has been no real progress on the matter. Despite our witness demonstrating (effectively unchallenged) the scale factor increase (at least doubling) in the numbers of vulnerable (pedestrians and cyclists) users of the crossing as a result of the proposed development, we are potentially seeing no remotely adequate safety measures proposed. In planning law, such a risk to highway safety is a valid reason to refuse a development or at least to overcome the risk with an effective mitigation.

This is why we need to see the Council for once take the lead and establish a Plan and Deliver group (PDG) to consult, identify, plan and part-fund an effective solution for improving the safety conditions around the station at Mortlake. With the planning agreement between the Council and the brewery developer still to be finalised, there has never been a better opportunity to design and make a quality place here as the gateway to the whole area surely deserves. So, in railway parlance, come on Richmond Council and step up to the plate!

Contributed by Howard Potter, who is a Chartered Civil Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a Chartered Town Planner and a retired member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.