Campaign group to seek judicial review over road closure

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched for a legal challenge to a council's decision to close a west London street.

Objectors’ group Don't Close Church Street hope to take the London Borough of Hounslow to judicial review over a closure which they say has increased congestion and pollution on other local roads.

They have so far raised £2,835 towards an initial target of £5,000. Total legal fees are estimated by the group at £48,000.

The group said the closure of Church Street, Isleworth, had pushed an estimated 2,600 additional vehicles onto surrounding roads and had been undertaken despite 71% of respondents in the two wards most affected calling for the street’s re-opening.

Hounslow said it had made the closure permanent after a 16 months trial.

A council statement said there had been opposition from some local businesses but “overwhelming support for the closure from residents in the road and strong support from a number of environmental charities wanting to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians using this route”.

Hounslow added that air quality “has improved markedly” with a 10% reduction on a nearby road to which traffic had been displaced.

It said road safety concerns “also proved unfounded given there appears no change in the number of collisions occurring in the area”.

Leader Steve Curran said: “This was always going to be a difficult and contentious decision. On balance though, I believe the one we have made is right going forward.”

Mark Smulian