Residents have complained that the Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) around the Albert Road area of Kingston is "not doing its job".

An LTN was installed in the Albert Road area in 2020 and made permanent in 2023.

LTNs are considered to be "a really good thing", says locals to the Albert Road area. Research shows that, more often than not, LTNs divert traffic from boundary roads as well as closed roads.

"But that doesn't always happen," says Liz Meerabeau of Kingston Labour.

"Sometimes, traffic on those boundary roads goes up - by a lot. On the eastbound side of Hawks Road in Kingston, it has risen by an astonishing 50%."

She added: "So, it is up to the Liberal Democrat council to weigh the benefits against the drawbacks; and to consider whether they are acceptable. That hasn't happened.

"On 3 March we asked the Neighbourhood Committee whether the increase in traffic really was 'acceptable' as their report said - they replied that it seemed acceptable at the time.

"But they wouldn't commit on when there would be an area traffic review, particularly of heavy lorries. The council officer said: 'We can't stop lorries going to the tip' - and apart from the chair the ward councillors said nothing.

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"A councillor for the next-door ward said lorries weren't a problem as they hadn't been a problem 40 years ago.

"We know solving traffic problems isn't easy, but council officers are experts in their field so we should get better answers."

Hawks Road is a Low Traffic Neughbourhood (Credit: Brian Matthews)

Local resident, Veysel Ozdemir, added:" In July 2025 we wrote again to council officers about traffic dangers in Hawks Road, particularly speeding and a near miss at the zebra crossing.

"We participated in community road watch sessions with the police - and 15 - 20% of vehicles exceeded 25mph. We asked for a digital speed sign to be fitted to a lamp post and in September 2025 we were told it was available - but we have heard nothing since.

"We asked again at the Neighbourhood Committee and were told it will be followed up. When will this badly needed sign be installed?"

Another local resident said: "The public consultation was a farce.

"Myself and neighbours on and to the south of Hawks Road were never alerted to it and few residents in this area knew of the consultation requirements, namely completion of an online form on this obscure website.

"By contrast, there were a large number of responses from residents in the streets to the north (Albert Road, Victoria Road and Church Road) showing that they were well aware of the procedure for registering their preference.

"If there is to be a future consultation, it must be announced to the residents of ALL the roads affected, by individual letter delivery and lamppost signage."

A second resident added: "In June 2021 I wrote to a councillor to draw attention to the noticeably sharp decrease in air quality on Hawks Road due to the long queues of traffic created by the road closure.

"Kingston Council had just publicised Clean Air Day and said: 'Children are more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution; it not only impacts their health but also their ability to learn.'

"I asked for a monitoring station on Hawks Road, and I was told this would happen but don't know if sensors were ever installed.

"Following the 2022 meeting, I raised a formal complaint with the council about the balance and accuracy of the analysis prepared to inform the decision.

"Parts of that complaint were upheld; the reviewer concluded that presenting the data differently would have: 'provided more balance…as to some of the drawbacks of the Albert Road LTN'.

"He recommended that the council team should review their processes by September 2022, but we've not heard nothing since.

"For some of the highest Council tax in London we don't appear to be getting much value - even the bin collection is worse, unpredictable and collected much later.

"They used to be collected regularly at about 6.30am. Now they remain uncollected on black bin day until early afternoon, decreasing the space available."

Residents have complained about the 'dangerously narrow' pavements on Hawks Road (Credit l: Brian Matthews)

They continued: "We would also really like to see Kingston taking action about the dangerously narrow footpaths and look at long term solutions including widening them".

"Often school kids and families walk the paths and there's no room - except for a single slim person."

A Kingston Council spokesperson told Nub News: "We are aware of the residents' concerns, and this matter was raised by a resident and responded to by a Council Officer at the recent meeting of the Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee on 3 March 2026.

"We are committed to reviewing the area but made it clear that we must wait until the SGN major utilities works have been completed, as this would significantly alter any traffic patterns in the area."