The Royal Borough of Greenwich has today published a report with recommendations that the West and East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management trial scheme is made permanent (subject to processes) with cameras located on Royal Hill and Blisset Street relocated and the number of Blue Badge holder exemptions doubling from one to two.
The recommendations come following the widespread consultation with residents and business owners, along with and the independent monitoring data demonstrating measurable changes in traffic air quality indicators and active travel. Full details can be found in the report.
The trial has seen 13 roads closed to through traffic at peak times on weekdays, but with exemptions for disabled blue badge holders in Royal Borough of Greenwich, community groups, taxis, private hire vehicles, emergency services and those in exceptional circumstances.
The report recommends:
Keeping the timings of the scheme the same: Monday to Friday, 7am to 10am and 3pm to 7pm.
Relocating the cameras on Royal Hill and Blissett Street
Increasing in the number of vehicle exemptions per eligible Blue Badge holder from one vehicle to two.
Thousands of people have taken part in over three rounds of community feedback: from gathering initial insights about traffic issues in the area, to sharing proposals to finally trialling those proposals in real life. The most recent round of consultation took place during the trial so residents could comment on what they were like in practice. Over 4,000 people took part and 273 people came to six neighbourhood feedback events that were held in the local areas, and just over 50 people attended an online session.
The data shows that within trial areas:
Traffic has reduced by 66% in West Greenwich, 52% in East Greenwich and 15% in Charlton during the hours the filters are in operation.
Vehicle use has declined by 30% within West Greenwich and by 20% within East Greenwich during non-filtered periods.
Motorised trips across the whole area (including boundary roads) has reduced by 6%.
54% of areas in West Greenwich experienced decreasing NO2, with an 11% increase in some locations
66% of areas in East Greenwich experienced decreasing levels of NO2, with no areas experiencing an increase
77% of areas in Charlton experienced decreasing or similar levels of NO2, with a 23% increase in some locations
Some boundary areas have experienced slightly more traffic, which will we work with residents to mitigate
23% of survey respondents said they were walking and wheeling ‘much more’ and ‘more’ than before
There are no concerns from TfL about bus journey times
What happens next?
The decision to keep, remove or amend the West and East Neighbourhood Management Trial Scheme is not dependent on any single metric, but a combination of them together with feedback from the formal consultation with residents and stakeholders.
The Leader of the Council will consider the report and make a decision no earlier than Friday 3 October 2025. The Council will be writing to all residents and businesses within the boundary areas to let them know the recommendations in the report and what the next steps are. There will be further engagement with residents once a final decision is made
Any decision made may be subject to a ‘call-in’ where a group of councillors can request a review.
If the recommended decisions are made, the next stage is to proceed to a Traffic Managment Order which is a legal process to implement the decision.
