Ewell Road's new cycle lane has become a point of contention, with local businesses and cycling advocates clashing over the designated loading bay. The Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee met on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, to discuss the Experimental Traffic Management Order (ETMO) for the Ewell Road cycle route, ultimately voting to make the order permanent.
Objections were raised by the Kingston Cycling Campaign (KCC) and six individual respondents concerning the operational hours and layout of the loading bay outside numbers 140-142 Ewell Road. These objections primarily focused on the loading bay obstructing the cycle path, particularly during peak times, and the allowance of parking outside designated loading hours.
The KCC argued that the current arrangement, where parking is permitted in the loading bay for over 50% of the time, completely blocks the cycle route. They proposed that general vehicle parking on the cycle path should be prohibited at all times, and loading should only occur during off-peak hours.
Local businesses, however, expressed concerns about losing kerbside parking bays and stated that the loading bay, designated for goods vehicles only, could not be legally used by many of their delivery vehicles, which are often cars or smaller vans. They also noted that the loading bay's use for parking by goods vehicles for extended periods caused a bottleneck for cyclists and restricted the bay's availability for legitimate business use.
In response to these concerns, the committee resolved to make the ETMO permanent. However, they also noted that increased enforcement would be conducted on the loading bay to ensure it is used only for its intended purpose. Furthermore, a review of waiting and loading restrictions will be carried out as part of a borough-wide Retail Parking Study, with further recommendations to be brought back to the committee at a future meeting.
The loading bay is currently restricted to goods vehicles only from Monday to Saturday, 8:30 am to 6:30 pm, with no restrictions outside these hours. Objections were received suggesting that loading times should be outside peak travel times, with one suggestion being '9:30am - 2:30pm'. The council acknowledged sympathy for the objections from cyclists who wish for less loading activity at peak times. However, specific 'off-peak hours' that align with business needs were not definitively stated, as the decision was deferred to a future review as part of the Retail Parking Study.
Further details on traffic management orders and proposed schemes can be found in the Ewell Road Cycle Route - Experimental Traffic Management Order ETMO Mar 2026 document and related meeting papers such as the Public reports pack Tuesday 17-Mar-2026 19.30 Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee.