New promise over Streatham Hill speed camera

Cllr Scott Ainslie and A23 campaigner Chris Holt

It has been revealed that a vital speed camera on Streatham Hill has been out of action for three and a half years - during which time there has been a significant number of serious accidents on this stretch of the A23.

In response to a Freedom of Informtion request by local Green Party member Chris Holt, it has been confirmed by the Metropolitan Police that the speed camera between Downton Avenue and Wyatt Park Road has not been operational since 15 March 2012.

Following pressure from Ms Holt - and other members of the Safer A23 in Streatham campaign - TFL, which is responsible for speed cameras on Red Routes, has promised the camera will now be replaced with a new, functioning digital camera by November 2015.


Data published by the Green Party in 2014 showed that nearly half of all vehicles on the A23 north of Streatham Hill station - the area covered by the out-of-action speed camera - were travelling at AVERAGE speeds that broke the speed limit.

And recent figures released by TfL revealed that there have been 6 deaths and 35 serious injuries on the A23 through Streatham in the five years 2010-2014. There have been more serious accidents - including at least two deaths - so far in 2015.

Mother-of-two Chris Holt, who is helping to run the Safer A23 in Streatham Campaign, said: "Our whole community is suffering from the high speeds of traffic on Streatham Hill and High Road. Crossing the road is a perilous activity - every time my children leave the house, part of me stays alert listening out for the wail of an ambulance siren."

Streatham Green Councillor Scott Ainslie said: "It's a tragedy that this speed camera has been out of action all this time. Instead of helping to reduce excessive speeds through this busy residential part of our community, it has been sending motorists the signal they can break the speed limit here with impunity.

"The lay-out of this stretch of the A23 - with six lanes separated by a central reservation - looks like a motorway, encouraging drivers to speed up in an area where they need to be slowing down. It's sending confusing signals, which is unfair to both motorists and pedestrians, contributing to accidents down the whole length of Streatham Hill and the High Road.

"The Green Party will continue to work in the community to keep up pressure on TfL, Lambeth Council and the Police to ensure Streatham becomes

a safer and more pleasant place for the people who live and work here."
 
The full response from the Metropolitan Police to Ms Holt's Freedom of Inforamtion request is:

"This camera last recorded footage on 15 March 2012.  Although the camera
has not been working for the last three years until the date of your
request, please be aware that this does not mean that the camera is still
out of action.  The camera equipment is due to be upgraded to digital as
part of the ongoing Safety Camera Replacement Programme before the end of
this calendar year."