Beckenham Improvements work update 23rd October 2017

Phase 3 works:

• Transport for London will continue with the installation of new traffic signals at Thornton’s Corner. Paving work will continue on the eastern corners of Thorntons Corner. Granite paving will be laid at the back of the paving on the north-west corner of Thornton’s Corner.
• Works to the hard surface area of Beckenham Green will continue.

For Reference

Works on the highway at the War Memorial roundabout are being carried out by Network Power and opposite Kelsey Square there is a gas installation to a new commercial unit. These works are not connected to the High street improvements.

Traffic Management Issues.

From Tuesday 29th August the High Street from Kelsey Square to Thornton’s Corner will be one way. The direction of traffic will move northeast, from Kelsey Square to Thornton’s Corner with diversions on Rectory Road. This one way system will be in place until the end of November 2017 when works will be suspended for the Christmas period. In January 2018 temporary one way traffic flow will be reintroduced.

Concerns have been raised regarding traffic flow at the junction with Thornton’s Corner. TfL have investigated this issue and have adjusted them to regulate the green light timings to account for traffic flow at certain times of the day. The left turn from one section of the High Street to the other is, presently much sharper for buses, due to the works outside Kelsey Park House on the opposite corner. Buses are currently slowing to avoid safety barriers therefore forcing vehicles from Manor Road and Kelsey Park Road to wait. As the work progresses along this section of the High Street, the situation will improve.

(For reference some works such as traffic signals and power connections are conducted by outside agencies such as Transport for London and UKPN. The project does not have control of these works).

The High Street from Thornton’s Corner to Beckenham Junction has remained one directional. Consideration by the Councils Highways Department and TfL has concluded that this is the best solution during the remainder of the works. It is considered that despite diversions signs some cars would continue to drive south from Bromley Road junction and cause traffic management problems when confronted with the one directional traffic management for the High Street between Thornton’s Corner and the War Memorial.

The completed scheme

Feedback from the community has revealed that there are some incorrect preconceptions about the scheme.

• The High Street will not be pedestrianised. Improvements will however greatly improve the pedestrian environment with wider pavements, improved lighting and more and better road crossings.
• After the improvements are complete the High Street will revert to two way traffic as prior to the improvements. The larger widenings such as the North-West corner of Thorntons Corner have been designed to enable the largest road vehicles to comfortably navigate the corner in both directions. Changes to the vehicle stop lines and traffic signalling will enable vehicles to use the reduced road space with minimal impacts on traffic flows.
• No existing bus stops will be removed from the High Street. All bus stops will however be improved and will become fully disabled accessible. In order to create sufficient waiting space for passengers some bus stops will be located on what is the highway at present.
• The scheme will not introduce shared surfaces where the footway and road surface will be on the same level. Throughout the scheme a kerb will be retained between the pavement and the road and the pedestrian areas will be a traditional pavement above vehicular areas except at crossing places.
• Many of the parking spaces are inset into the paving (achieved by widening the paving not reducing it). They are flush with the pavement to avoid a trip hazard kerb.

Further information can be found at www.bromley.gov.uk/beckenhamimprovements

A Big Thank You

Increasingly the project team and FM Conway have been receiving compliments about the improvements and the site contractors. Thank you for these. It is also much appreciated that businesses are working with and acknowledging that the site

contractors of FM Conway are endeavouring to minimise disruption as much as possible.

We are aware that the works do cause noise and disruption. FM Conway will try and minimise the space for materials storage outside Beckenham Green as soon as possible. In the meantime thank you for your patience if you are affected.

About the Scheme

The scheme is designed to make the town more attractive to visitors and shoppers by day and night. A major objective is to support existing businesses and encourage new businesses to invest in the town centre. The High Street investment improvements will create a more attractive and safer pedestrian environment. Improvements will include new paving and road surfacing, improved and attractive lighting, improved road crossings and bus waiting facilities, better facilities for cyclists and improved amenity spaces including Beckenham Green.

Extensive planning and consultation has been carried out since the scheme was proposed in 2012. The cooperation and input of the ‘Town Centre Team’ and its members including the Beckenham Business Association, The Beckenham Society and the Copers Cope Resident Association is gratefully acknowledged, with their input key in shaping the nature of the scheme.