Concerns have been raised about traffic changes in Putney High Street, with residents and councillors highlighting potential safety issues and the cumulative impacts
of various transport schemes across the borough.
During a Wandsworth Council Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2026, councillors discussed the overall effect of these changes, particularly in hotspot areas
like Putney High Street. Councillor Zara Wiles voiced concerns about the cumulative effect of various transport schemes and major works across the borough. Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Nick Austin, acknowledged this, stating that officers have been asked to consider the projected domino impact
of works, especially in hotspot areas
such as Lower Richmond Road, Putney High Street, Battersea Bridge Road, and Tooting Broadway. He also highlighted the impact of bridge closures, like those at Hammersmith Bridge and Albert Bridge, on traffic displacement.
Henry Chang provided an update on Putney High Street, detailing improvements such as the removal of a traffic island and carriageway widening. However, a key proposal to relocate the bridge crossing further south to ensure consistent green time for Lower Richmond Road has drawn criticism.
The rationale behind relocating the crossing is to ensure Lower Richmond Road receives consistent green time, independent of pedestrian demand. Currently, Lower Richmond Road benefits from 25 seconds of green time when a pedestrian crossing button is pressed. The proposed relocation aims to provide a consistent 42 seconds of green time for Lower Richmond Road.
Councillor Will Sweet sought clarity on pedestrian safety with the proposed relocation of the crossing. Councillor Jenny Yates expressed significant concerns, arguing that reverting to a three-stage crossing on Putney Bridge would make crossing more difficult and potentially unsafe. The current proposal to relocate the crossing further south would retain large traffic islands and two-stage crossings on all three arms, separating the dependency of the bridge crossing from the left turns. Councillor Yates also questioned the justification for removing cycle lanes and wands
on Putney Bridge Road, a sentiment echoed by Councillor Toby Hopkins, who stated it makes the road much less safe for people cycling and would not bring much benefit for motor vehicle traffic.
Councillor Austin assured that pedestrian safety would be monitored and acknowledged that difficult choices
are being made to improve traffic flow. He explained that the tailback of traffic and the displacement of safety concerns into Lower Richmond Road and onto Putney Bridge Road are issues that need to be addressed, and that difficult choices have to be made to ensure roads are safe for every user. One such difficult choice involves increasing green time by 17 seconds onto the bridge, allowing more traffic off Lower Richmond Road and onto the bridge.
Mr. Chang added that all designs undergo safety audits by Transport for London (TfL) and independent auditors. He also explained that the removal of the cycle lane and wands
on Putney Bridge Road was made possible by other improvements, such as the removal of a bus lane on Putney High Street and widening works, which have created additional capacity. He suggested that cyclists could occupy the traffic lanes for safety.
Councillor Yates requested data on pedestrian safety and crossing behaviour, specifically asking for a future paper detailing pedestrian safety data, not just the proportion of pedestrians crossing on red lights, but also data on whether pedestrians are crossing where the crossing has been moved from the middle of Putney Bridge to the west side.
Despite assurances, councillors Yates and Hopkins voiced objections to the proposed changes, particularly the removal of the two-stage crossing, and stated they did not support the recommendations in the paper.
