We Asked, You Said, We Did

We asked

We asked for your views on a wide range of improvements to Sunbeam Gardens. The potential improvements included:

• Installation of a drinking water fountain
• New seating
• Art sculpture and mural
• Repainting existing railings
• New planting
• Outdoor gym equipment

You said

Survey responses 25

General:

How often people visit the park:  A total of 10 respondents said they visit Sunbeam Gardens everyday, 4 respondents visited two to three times per week, 7 respondents visited once a week and 4 respondents less frequently.

Satisfaction levels with the park: 10 respondents were either very satisfied or satisfied, 9 respondents were neither satisfied or dissatisfied, 5 respondents were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied and 1 respondent did not answer.

Improvement proposals: Respondents were asked for the levels of support for each of the proposal and then asked to rank them in order of preference. The top two selected items in order of preference in joint 1^st place were the installation of a new drinking water fountain and planting improvements both with a mean score of 1.28, 2^nd  place was additional items of outdoor gym equipment with a mean score of 0.96, 3^rd place new benches with arm rests with a mean score of 0.64, 4^th place repainting external railings with a mean score of 0.60, 5^th sculpture with a mean score of 0.56 and 6^th ground mural with a mean score of 0.08.

Top two preferred pieces of outdoor gym equipment: The top two favourite pieces of equipment selected were the resistance stepper and resistance shoulder press.

Preferred Planting theme: Eleven respondents said that they would like a mixed planting theme including plants beneficial to wildlife and pollinators, shrubs and grasses, seasonal bulbs, and sensory planting.  9 respondents just wanted plants beneficial to wildlife and pollinators.

Installation of picnic tables of grass area outside play area:  17 respondents were in favour of this, 7 respondents did not support this and 1 respondent did not answer.

We did

Improvements

• The joint 1^st ranked items of new and improved planting and installation of a drinking water fountain will be implemented. The new planting will include new climbing planting to the boundary of the play area and seasonal bulbs, some infill planting around the boundary of the rest of the site including some new trees and fruiting plants. It will follow the preferred mixed planting theme incorporating plants beneficial to wildlife and pollinators, ornamental shrubs and grasses, seasonal bulbs, and sensory planting. 
• The two new pieces of outdoor gym equipment will also be installed to include the two favourite pieces the resistance stepper and resistance shoulder press, we will also look to replace the existing pull up bars at the same time as these now require replacement.
• The benches will also be replaced with timber park benches with back and armrests and one accessible picnic table installed.
• The park railing repainting will be carried out subject to available budget, but we will commit to repaint all 4 entrance gates and the railings around the children’s play area.

The installation of new sculpture and the ground mural were the least supported and options and received the lowest ranking votes and will therefore not be considered further.

The improvements will be carried out over the autumn/winter period, and we hope that all the works will be completed by March/ April 2024.

We asked

We asked for views on the proposals to make changes to the parking layout in the Elm Park Gardens, Henry Dickens Court, Knight’s House, Longlands Court, 375 Portobello Road and Tavistock Crescent housing estates.

You said

We received a total of five objections, no letters of support and no comments across three of the off-street parking proposals.

We did

We have made the traffic order for the proposed changes in Elm Park Gardens, Henry Dickens Court, Knight’s House, Longlands Court, 375 Portobello Road and Tavistock Crescent housing estates as originally advertised.

We asked

We asked for views on 66 proposals in the June 2023 Miscellaneous Parking Changes, and a proposed clerical change relating that the maximum permitted vehicle dimensions, in respect of applications for residents’ permits and disabled persons’ purple badges for vehicles adapted for use by disabled persons.

You said

We received a total of 37 objections, nine letters of support and two comments across 18 of the parking proposals.

We did

We have made the traffic order as originally advertised apart from the proposals relating to Campden Street, Holland Park, Holland Street and Pottery Lane which were dropped in their entirety.  Two of the three proposals in Cremorne Estate were also dropped, the Campden Grove proposal was amended to one metre.  The decision regarding the Kempsford Gardens and Old Brompton Road proposal was deferred to the October 2023 amendment.

We asked

Whether advisory cycle lanes should be introduced on Fulham Road and the eastern and western sections of Kensington High Street.

You said

We had 1,775 responses to the consultation. Around 66 per cent of respondents to the consultation supported the measures in full or in part for Kensington High Street. On Fulham Road, around 71 per cent supported the measures in full or in part.

We did

A decision has been confirmed to introduce the scheme in both roads but with an amendment to extend the width of the lanes to two metres wherever possible. This was a recommendation made in a road safety audit.

Work to introduce the Kensington High Street scheme is scheduled to begin on 14 August 2023. The work will take place across three nights, weather permitting, between 9pm and 6am. During the works, we will attempt to keep disruption to a minimum but some minor traffic disruption is likely for a short period. We may also need to temporarily suspend some parking bays in order to complete the works. 

A timeline for Fulham Road will be confirmed at a later date.

To read the decision report in full visit https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/howwegovern/keydecisions/decision.aspx?DecisionID=6499

We asked

We asked for views on the proposed introduction of a pedestrian and cycle zone in Kendrick Place between the south-eastern kerb-line of Kendrick Mews and the north-western kerb-line of Old Brompton Road and to remove the one-way system from Kendrick Place along with the accompanying no entry into Kendrick Place at its junction with Old Brompton Road.  All motor vehicles would be prohibited from entering or being in the pedestrian and cycle zone.

You said

We had seven objections and 16 letters of support to this proposal

We did

We introduced a Pedestrian and Cycle Zone in the pedestrianised southern arm of Kendrick Place between the south-eastern kerb-line of Kendrick Mews and the north-western kerb-line of Old Brompton Road and to remove the one-way system from Kendrick Place along with the accompanying no entry into Kendrick Place at its junction with Old Brompton Road.

We asked

We asked for views on the proposed introduction of the following:

(a)  provide a route for the use of pedestrians and pedal cycles only in Basil Street, between the western kerb-line of Sloane Street and 14 metres south-west of that kerb-line, prohibiting all motor vehicles from entering that section;

(b)   provide a pedestrian and cycle zone in Basil Street, between Pavilion Road and 14 metres south-west of the western kerb-line of Sloane Street (vehicles would be permitted to enter the pedestrian and cycle zone to access properties);

(c)   remove the north-eastbound one-way system in Basil Street, between Pavilion Road and Sloane Street; and

(d)   provide a southbound one-way system in Pavilion Road, between Basil Street and Hans Crescent (reversing the existing one-way system in this length), along with the associated prohibition of entry against the flow of traffic at the southern end of that length.

You said

We had no objections and two letters of support to these proposals.

We did

We have made the traffic order, as proposed, introducing the following:

(a)  provide a route for the use of pedestrians and pedal cycles only in Basil Street, between the western kerb-line of Sloane Street and 14 metres south-west of that kerb-line, prohibiting all motor vehicles from entering that section;

(b)   provide a pedestrian and cycle zone in Basil Street, between Pavilion Road and 14 metres south-west of the western kerb-line of Sloane Street (vehicles would be permitted to enter the pedestrian and cycle zone to access properties);

(c)   remove the north-eastbound one-way system in Basil Street, between Pavilion Road and Sloane Street; and

(d)   provide a southbound one-way system in Pavilion Road, between Basil Street and Hans Crescent (reversing the existing one-way system in this length), along with the associated prohibition of entry against the flow of traffic at the southern end of that length.

We asked

if we should install 164 new rental e-bike parking bay locations across the borough, to help reduce footway obstructions caused by rental e-bikes. 

You said

Please see individual consultation ward reports below.

We did

The Council is implementing 124 of the proposed rental e-bike parking bays, as below:

We asked

We asked for your views on the way you use and interact with the service. In particular we wanted to know whether you found each of the avenues of communication (in-person, telephone, letters and assessments and online) accessible and user-friendly. Furthermore, we wanted to get an understanding of any issues around internet access and the digital skills of our temporary accommodation residents.

You said

We received extensive feedback on the aspects of our service that were working well but also on the gaps and areas that could be improved. The following points represent key feedback that we have gathered from the survey:

• The overall satisfaction levels for telephone communication reduced in comparison to last year. Issues with waiting times and an inability to access our services was a particular cause for concern.
• There are issues with our communication throughout the housing assessment process as residents do not feel well-informed and are often unaware of what the process is and what is required from them.
• The website is not clear and informative and consequently residents prefer accessing information through other means.
• There should be greater flexibility in the methods of communication that the council offers. For example, there is demand for services such as webchat, video calls and WhatsApp.

We did

We will be discussing the results with a resident focus group to get feedback on the issues raised in the survey and find solutions to adequately address them. In addition, there is ongoing service development work already in place to rectify issues in some of these areas. For example:

• Call Handling – In February, we introduced a new telephony system that allows us to record calls and collect data on key performance indicators, including waiting times and abandoned calls. With this information, we can ensure that the level of customer service that we provide is at a high standard and all dips can be identified and rectified.
• Service Standards – There is ongoing work to revise our service standards and ensure that the product we deliver is of a level that you, as residents, deem acceptable. As part of this, we are ensuring that the resident voice is heard through a number of outreach and engagement activities.
• Rent Statements – We are also working to introduce regular rent statements. We hope that this will help keep you better informed and more clearly set out the process and requirements.
• Training and Induction – We have just introduced a new training and induction programme for new starters. This will ensure that front line officers are fully equipped with all of the knowledge and soft skills to provide an excellent user experience.

We asked

Whether the Council should convert the mini-roundabouts at the junctions of Ashburn Place and Harrington Gardens, and Ashburn Place and Courtfield Road to priority junctions. The proposals also proposed replacing the current pedestrian islands on the western side of the junction of Ashburn Place and Harrington Gardens with a zebra crossing.

You said

In total, 48 responses were received.  Twenty-five (52%) respondents supported the proposals in full, 17 supported in part (35%), and 5 respondents objected to the proposals (11%). One person had no opinion. The consultation report is available below.

We did

Following consideration of all comments received, the Council is proceeding with detailed design and implementation of the proposed priority junction – with the design for Courtfield Road/Ashburn Place to include a new crossing facility. Proceeding with the proposals will be subject to the outcome of statutory traffic regulation orders.

We asked

Whether a new parallel crossing should be implemented across Old Brompton Road (from Kempsford Gardens to Brompton Cemetery).

You said

In total, 79 responses were received to the consultation. Forty-Two (54%) respondents supported the proposals in full, 17 supported in part (22%), and 19 responses objected to the proposals (24%). However, three of the 19 objections appeared to be from the same individual as the same false email address was used across all three responses.  The full consultation report can be found below.

We did

The Council plans to proceed to detailed design and implementation of the proposed parallel crossing on Old Brompton Road, subject to statutory consultation.

We asked

The Panel survey on making the borough safer focussed on gaining a better understanding of what would make Panel members feel safe and gain an insight into Panel members’ experiences of crime and antisocial behaviour as a witness and/or victim. This survey is a repeat of a similar survey conducted in 2022 and benchmarks against the previous results to identify changes in opinions, attitudes, and experiences. 

You said

1. Overall feelings of safety – In general, Panel members who responded felt less safe than they did in 2022. Eight in ten (80 per cent) Panel members feel safe when out and about in their neighbourhood during the day which is a four per cent decrease since 2022. Feelings of safety for Panel members after dark drops from those during the day (50 per cent consistent with 2022). There was a four per cent increase in the percentage of Panel members who felt there were places in their neighbourhood they were worried about visiting and a 17 per cent increase in those who had changed their behaviour in the last 12 months to feel safe. 
   
   Community safety priorities – Of the four community safety priorities identified in the Community Safety Plan, drug related offences were still viewed as the biggest problem (60 per cent) followed by antisocial behaviour (51 per cent). These views were mainly based on personal experience or word of mouth. This year, Panel members were also asked about other crime issues in their neighbourhood. Motor vehicle crime (65 per cent), theft from a person or shop (59 per cent) and burglary (57 per cent) were viewed as the biggest problems for Panel members.
   
   Community involvement – Ninety-three per cent of Panel members felt that it was important for residents and the police to work together, with a five per cent increase in those finding it very important since 2022. Forty-three per cent of Panel members agreed that ’community members trust local services and organisations’ - this has seen a five per cent decrease since 2022. Panel members continue to think that higher visibility of police/wardens (93 per cent) would have the biggest impact on crime and antisocial behaviour in their neighbourhood. This was followed by environmental improvements for local neighbourhoods (90 per cent) and enforcement against antisocial behaviour (89 per cent).
    
2. Experiences of crime and antisocial behaviour – The percentage of Panel members who have been a witness to or victim of crime or antisocial behaviour in the past 12 months remained fairly consistent with 2022, with 31 per cent stating they had been a witness and 15 per cent a victim, whilst five per cent had been both. Of those that had experienced crime or antisocial behaviour as a witness and/or victim, only 34 per cent had reported the incident (most often to the police followed by the Council). The main reason given for not reporting was they didn’t think it would be acted on (62 per cent). 
   
   Community Wardens and Parks’ Police Teams – Awareness of the Community Wardens continues to be quite low amongst Panel members with 72 per cent not aware of them. There was more awareness of the Parks’ Police with only 38 per cent of Panel respondents not having heard of them.

We did

The Community Safety Team and the Safer K and C Partnership are continuing to carefully consider the full results from the Panel survey with the year-on-year results being used to identify any trends and to monitor progress against the action plans developed from the Community Safety Plan. This year the Safer K and C Partnership will be forming its response to Serious Violence as part of a new legal duty. These responses will help to inform the partnership’s response to violence in the borough alongside needs analysis and other ongoing community engagement work. The full report also identified any differences in opinion by key demographics (sex, age, and ethnicity) and by the area of the borough that Panel members live in. This feedback will be used to target resources, commissioning work, communication and awareness raising to ensure to maximise their effectiveness. The comparison to  last year’s results helps to understand changes in local feelings of safety and the results will also enable the Community Safety Team to identify where within the borough to focus additional safety measures and environmental improvements, whilst also informing the Council’s antisocial behaviour response borough wide.

 

We asked

We asked for views on the proposals to make changes to the parking layout in the 69 St Quintin Avenue, Hortensia House Portobello Court and Tavistock Crescent housing estates.

You said

We had one objection to the conversion of a RBKC Housing residents’ permit bay to RBKC-Housing disabled parking bay (HOH 02).

We did

We have made the traffic order for the proposed changes in 69 St Quintin Avenue and Portobello Court housing estates, but dropped the proposals in Hortensia House (due to the objection received) and in Tavistock Crescent (after RBKC-Housing withdrew the proposal).

We asked

We asked for views on 106 proposals in the February 2023 Miscellaneous Parking Changes, and a proposed clerical change relating to the pay on street tariff areas applicable to Vicarage Gate, to reflect the current on-street charges.

You said

We had a total of 76 objections, 35 letters of support and one comment across 64 of the parking proposals.

We did

We have made the traffic order as per the proposals apart from the proposals relating to Darnley Terrace, Ladbroke Terrace, Munro Mews, St Mark’s Road (S441) which were dropped in their entirety.  Some proposals in Fulham Road and King's Road were also dropped.

We asked

We asked for views on a proposal to provide a pedestrian and cycle zone in St Mark’s Road, between the north-western kerb-line of Cornwall Crescent and a point 10 metres south-east of the south-eastern kerb-line of Lancaster Road (outside Thomas Jones Primary School), between 8.45am and 9.10am and between 3.10pm and 3.40pm on Mondays to Fridays inclusive.

You said

We received no objections or comments to this proposal

We did

We have made the order for the pedestrian and cycle zone in St Mark’s Road (outside Thomas Jones Primary School), between 8.45am and 9.10am and between 3.10pm and 3.40pm on Mondays to Fridays inclusive.

We asked

We have been working with residents on a solution to the widespread misuse of parking facilities and increasing problems with unauthorised parking at Edenham Way.

In response, the Council asked all Edenham Way residents for their views on adopting its standard housing estate parking policy, which would enable parking enforcement by its on-street parking enforcement contractor, NSL.

You said

We received 22 responses in total

• 17 were not in favour of parking enforcement
• 5 were in favour of parking enforcement

We did

Following the survey outcome, we will not be implementing a Traffic Management Order on the estate. Without a Traffic Management Order, we will not be able to enforce parking restrictions or issue penalty charge notices for unauthorised parking.

Next steps

Based on feedback from the consultation and residents’ meeting, key themes are highlighted below:

• Concern over affordability to pay for enforcement on the estate. We understand that this is an issue for residents, however, enforcement has worked well on most of our estates and has allowed the Council to take action against those parked illegally.
• The previously installed bollards have caused physical damage to residents’ vehicles and physical injury to some individuals - Our Environmental Services Team has confirmed that it will be replacing the bollards with designs that drop down and are inset into the road. The team is now working to set a start date with the contractor and will write to residents when these dates have been arranged.
• Concern over the condition of the barriers - The Council’s Environmental Services Team will review the condition of the barriers that were previously installed.
• Contractors parking on the estate – contractors need to be able to park on the estate as they are working on behalf of the Council. If vehicles are parked on the estate overnight, please report this to Neighbourhood Resident Services Team on 0800 137 111 or email HM-Parking@rbkc.gov.uk
• Bays for purple and blue badge holders. Residents who have a disability and can provide a purple or blue badge will be able to have an allocated bay with a lockable bollard if they require. Please contact the Neighbourhood Resident Services Team on 0800 137 111 or email HM-Parking@rbkc.gov.uk
• Concern about insufficient street lighting. Our Electric Contract Team will review the current lighting on the estate and test all the existing lamp columns. They will establish whether it will be possible to upgrade lighting on the estate.

We asked

If the Council should introduce five new cycle hangars in four locations across the borough. 

You said

40 responses supported the proposals in full, 4 supported in part and 13 objected to the proposals. 

We did

The Director for Transport and Regulatory Services, in consultation with the Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment, has decided to proceed with the four hangars proposed in Chesterton Road (two units), Norland Road and Redcliffe Square.  Following public consultation and the objections received to the cycle hangar proposed for Allen Street, ward councillors have significant concerns regarding its installation. These concerns cannot currently be resolved and accordingly, the decision has been made not to proceed with this proposal at this time

We asked

We asked for views on the environmental issues that are most important to residents in Notting Dale, and what environmental projects and improvements residents would like to see in the area for Phase 2 of the Notting Dale Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme.

We also asked residents which Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme theme was most important to them and how they would like to be involved in helping to deliver and co-design the programme.

You said

• Poor Air quality was the most chosen environmental issue, with 64 per cent of respondents selecting this option (base 29).
• Energy inefficiency in homes/buildings was the second most selected issue (61 per cent), followed by lack of green spaces (57 per cent) and the effects of extreme weather and temperature events (54 per cent).
• You would like to see projects that provide more green space and make space for nature in Notting Dale (11 comments, base 21).
• Creating a Cleaner and Healthier Notting Dale and Fabric first: Notting Dale Goes Net Zero were the highest-ranking themes of the programme, with 34 per cent and 36 per cent of people ranking them the most important themes respectively (Base 29).
• A total of 18 per cent of respondents wanted to be part of a Community Steering Group to support the Notting Dale Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme (base 57). Other respondents would like to be kept updated about the programme online and via email (base 23).

We did

• As part of the second round of the Mayor of London’s Future Neighbourhoods funding, 12 key environmental projects/initiatives will be delivered, addressing the key environmental issues flagged by residents such as poor air quality, lack of green spaces, energy inefficiency in homes etc.
• These will include, projects such as the Greening Notting Dale Ward will focus on improving access to nature and increases green spaces such as Greening Grenfell Walk, Nottingwood House Nature Garden, Lancaster Green Solar Parklet, Kingsnorth House Kitchen Garden Expansion. Three community kitchen gardens will be created and improved.
• The Social Cycling Programme will be extended and cycling training together with community bike rides and Cycling Trainer and Bike mechanics qualifications will be available for residents.
• We have established a Community Steering Group to help support the co-design process for the Future Neighbourhood vision and broader programme and have extended invites to those who expressed an interest to be part of it in this survey.
• We are setting up a Notting Dale Future Neighbourhoods 2030 newsletter and project website to keep residents updated about the programme and the environmental activities/projects online and via email.
• We have created a new survey to continue to receive feedback and ideas from residents to help shape the long-term environmental strategy of the programme and to identify potential environmental projects for Phase 3 round of funding. Please head to https://arcg.is/0LKCuS to continue to be involved in co-designing the programme and the strategy. (Please note this survey link will be live until 25 May 2023).

We asked

During a previous consultation on the refurbishment of a playground at Emslie Horniman Pleasance, residents wanted to see a mural within the playground to celebrate local artistry. Three local community artists put forward their designs and residents living in Golborne ward, local to the park were asked to vote for their favourite design (votes from outside this area were not counted).

You said

Overall, we received 239 votes, however the majority of these were from people from outside of Golborne ward. Sixty one votes were received from those resident in Golborne and the result of their votes was as follows:

The winning design was, therefore. Our Children are our rising stars by Junior Tomlin.

We did

The parks service will be working with KACW and artist Junior Tomlin, to commence work on painting the winning mural Our children are our rising stars on the rear wall of Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance play area. The work is scheduled to take place in mid-April subject to weather.

We asked

We asked for your views on whether the summer opening and closing times at Powis Square should be amended during the summer months April to August, which could potentially help address noise disturbance being experienced by residents. With the aim of implementing any changes to the opening and closing times from April 2023.

We also asked for your views on dog access within Powis Square and how this should be managed, presenting six different options. Options 1 to 5 proposed ways dogs could be restricted from using the certain areas of Powis Square. Option 6 proposed keeping dog access to all areas of Powis Square. The aim of the feedback to implement the preferred option.

You said

Survey responses 267

General

Who took part:  Adults 71 per cent, Parent or Career 34 per cent and children and young people 9 per cent.

How people use the square: A total of 43 per cent of respondents said they socialise in Powis Square, 33 per cent play in Powis Square, 31 per cent walk their dog in Powis Square, 12 per cent other and 11 per cent of respondents did not use Powis Square.

Summer opening and closing times.

Support of the revised opening and closing times of 8am to 8pm all respondents: A total of 52 per cent of all the respondents supported that opening and closing times remaining the same, 34 per cent supported the revised opening and closing times and 15 per cent requested different opening and closing times.

Support of revised opening and closing times of 8am to 8pm post code mapped to reflect responses from resident bordering the square, most affected by the noise:  A total of 43 per cent of respondents supported the opening and closing times remaining the same. However, a combined total of 57 per cent of residents living closest to the park supported the revised opening and closing times  (24 per cent of respondents) or wanted different opening and closing times (33 per cent of respondents).

Dog Access in Powis Square

Six potential options on how dog access should be managed in Powis Square were presented: A total of 29 per cent of all respondents supported option 1 - A fenced and planted dog area along the west side of the square. When broken down by postcodes of residents bordering the park, option 1 was also the most selected option with 32 per cent.

The second most preferred option was option 6 – dog access to all areas of Powis Square with a total of 20 per cent of respondents supporting this option, when analysed by postcodes bordering the park option 6 was also 2^nd place with 20 per cent of respondents supporting this option.

Option 3- The children’s play area and ball court fenced was supported by 17 per cent of all respondents.

Option 4- The children’s play area fenced to prevent dogs accessing was supported by 17 per cent of all respondents.

Option 2- A fenced dog area along the Talbot Road end of the ball court was supported by 8 per cent of all respondents.

Option 5- Dogs on Leads only – was supported by 7 per cent of all respondents.

We did

Summer Opening and Closing Times

The results have been analysed  and reviewed taking into consideration the postcodes of the residents bordering the park who are most affected by the noise. 57 per cent of residents living closest to the park either supported the revised opening and closing times of 8am to 8pm or requested something different.

Taking this into consideration and to help mitigate the noise experienced by residents.

The revised opening and closing times of 8am to 8pm will be implemented from April 2023 for a trial period of 2 years.

Dog Access

Almost 80 per cent of all respondents supported some kind dog access control measures with in Powis Square by selecting options 1 to 5. The preferred option by all respondents and those directly bordering the Square was Option 1 A fenced and dedicated dog area along the west side of the Square.

Therefore option 1 will be implemented, it is intended that the work will take place over the summer. This will be for a trial period of 2 years.

We asked

In 2021 the Council commissioned a report from the Centre for London (CfL) to investigate the changing way residents and visitors get around the borough as the Covid pandemic receded. The Council also sought suggestions about how our streets and places could be adapted to improve walking, cycling and the use of public transport which are part of the Council Plan commitment to a greener Kensington and Chelsea. The report had a particular focus on Kensington High Street as a primary east-west corridor linking Kensington and Chelsea to other boroughs. The Panel survey on ‘Improving our streets: travel options for Kensington High Street and beyond’ launched in January 2023 and sought the views of the Panel on the ideas from CfL, firstly in general terms and then specifically in relation to Kensington High Street. The survey received 321 responses, there was an over representation of the percentage of Panel members with access to a car compared to census data and just under half of respondents were aged 60 and over.

You said

Getting around Kensington and Chelsea – The most popular modes of transport for getting around Kensington and Chelsea were walking and buses which were also the most popular modes of transport for getting around Kensington High Street itself. Post pandemic, there have been overall increases in Panel members walking, using buses, and cycling and decreases in car use, tube/National Rail, and taxis/minicabs.

Cycle lanes – Fifty-nine per cent of Panel members supported painted line only cycle lanes, with less support for them specifically on Kensington High Street (43 per cent support). Panel members were less supportive overall of cycle lanes physically separated from the traffic (42 per cent support, 41 per cent oppose) and again there was less support for these protected cycle lanes on Kensington High Street (31 per cent support, 53 per cent oppose). The cycle lane design that respondents felt would make them feel safest whilst cycling on Kensington High Street was the wand cycle track (17 per cent) and the design with the best visual appearance was the painted line only (37 per cent).

Other proposals - The majority of Panel members expressed support for timed bus lanes (68 per cent) with less support for such bus lanes on Kensington High Street (51 per cent support). There was a mixed response to the idea of widening pavements with 46 per cent of Panel members expressing support and 39 per cent expressing opposition. On Kensington High Street, 40 per cent supported the widening of pavements and 45 per cent opposed.

Specific proposals for Kensington High Street - Floating bus stops on Kensington High Street received more opposition than support from Panel members with 47 per cent opposed and 23 per cent supportive of the proposal. There was also more opposition than support for the removal of kerbs on the High Street (55 per cent opposed, 23 per and for the introduction of a timed eastbound sustainable travel lane (45 per cent opposed, 29 per cent supportive). There was more support for replacing staggered pedestrian crossings with straight across crossings with half of Panel members supporting this proposal and 19 per cent opposing it.

We did

The service has carefully considered the results of the Panel survey and they have also been presented to the Environment Select Committee. The results are being used to inform the next stage of consultation with residents and other stakeholders more widely. A consultation on the proposed introduction of advisory cycle lanes (indicated by a broken/dashed painted white line) on Fulham Road and the eastern and western sections of Kensington High Street is due to launch from mid-May (closing 26 June).