Purpose

Over time Wormholt residents have raised
concerns with the Council regarding a significant increase in
traffic volumes, congestion and vehicle speeds on a number of
streets in the ward.

The proposed trial scheme has been developed with significant
input, engagement and coproduction with residents that responds
directly to their issues. A Wormholt resident working group was
established, and a series of workshops held between May 2024 and
June 2025 to identify local issues. A Neighbourhood Have Your Say
Survey was carried out in July 2025 to gain feedback from all
residents on the issues raised, and measures that could be
considered.

Two options have been developed for a trial scheme that introduces
traffic access restrictions in the Wormholt ward. This report
recommends introducing Option 2, a phased trial scheme approach. As
a part of the proposed trial the Council will continue to work
closely with residents and stakeholders to coproduce
solutions.

Decision

To launch
a trial Wormholt Neighbourhood traffic safety improvement scheme
that introduces traffic access restrictions for non-borough
residents via an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO).

 

To
implement Option 2 as the preferred approach to introduce traffic
access restrictions, enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition
(ANPR) cameras (see Proposal and Analysis of Options section below
for details). Option 2 is the implementation of a phased trial
scheme with traffic restrictions on the following
streets:

Phase 1
                            
i.    
Steventon Road at the junction with Old Oak
Road
                           
ii.    
Bryony Road at the junction with Bloemfontein
Road
                         
iii.    
Sawley
Road at the junction with Bloemfontein
Road
 

Phase 2
                         
iv.    
Bloemfontein Road south of the junction with South
Africa Road- initially to be kept in data monitoring to help
understand traffic patterns during the trial; enforcement may be activated
if any potential traffic displacement becomes a longer-term
issue.
 

To delegate authority to the Director of Climate Change and Transport
to monitor traffic, consider consultation feedback
provided during the experiment and make any amendments or
adjustments to the scheme during the experimental period and in
line with the statutory process.

 

To delegate authority
to Director of Climate Change and
Transport to work with residents, businesses, and other
stakeholders to develop a long-term vision for the Wormholt ward
and the wider area.

Reasons for the decision

This trial aims to improve road
safety and air quality by achieving a significant reduction in
total traffic volumes and through traffic on residential streets.
It seeks to achieve this by discouraging out-of-borough traffic
from using residential streets accessed via the A40 Westway and Old
Oak Road, as cut through routes.
 
The trial makes progress
towards achieving the Council’s policy agenda for Public
Health and the Climate Emergency, and the Council’s
priorities, with twenty-six direct links and fifteen non-direct
links.
 
Working with resident groups
and engaging the wider community on the proposals has helped the
Council build a better understanding of the local situation and
design a tailored and area specific trial.
 
The trial can be amended,
altered, or abandoned without significant capital investment on
infrastructure or making permanent changes to the road
network.
 
The collection of real-time and
automatic traffic count data during the trial scheme will inform
decision-making. Any future recommendation to make the trial
permanent or to abandon it will be based on data and feedback
collected during the trial.
 
The experimental trial is
estimated to cost £36,000, and the period will be between six
and eighteen months, as required. Should there be a future
recommendation that the trial becomes permanent, any additional one
off and/or ongoing costs will be considered as part of that future
decision report.

Alternative options considered

Option 1 proposes the
introduction of trial measures at all identified cut-through routes
at the same time. This includes traffic access restrictions on the
following streets:

·      
Steventon Road at the junction with Old Oak
Road

·      
Bryony Road at the junction with Bloemfontein
Road

·      
Sawley
Road at the junction with Bloemfontein
Road

·      
Bloemfontein Road south of the junction with South
Africa Road
 
Option 2 introduces measures at
identified cut-through routes in a two phased approach.
 
The
full options analysis can be found in the report