| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Terrific new proposal for the High Street | |
| Posted by: | Dave Roberts | |
| Date/Time: | 28/01/13 11:27:00 |
| In terms of traffic congestion avoidance there was once a window of opportunity in which Putney may have possibly been a different place. In the post war period the Greater London Council drew up plans to create four 'ringway' motorways around London. Thankfully, the great majority of this plan led by Patrick Abercrombie never came to fruition, largely through public protest but also be cause it was expensive and politically unpopular. Small stretches can be seen locally in Wandsworth - Trinity way and the Wandsworth Roundabout. Further afield, the small stretch of motorway next to Westfield which was a continuation. As far as Putney was concerned, we would have been spared the heavy traffic up the high street but at the cost of a motorway skirting along the route of URR but then ploughing right through the prettiest part of Barnes - crashing through the beautiful terrace by Barnes railway bridge and on across the river. London was a different place in the early 60s and who knows what Putney would have been like had these roads been built, but this was probably the last opportunity we will have had to avoid the problem we have now. There are a couple of very interesting links Below. A scan of a contemporary planning document explaining the project and a short video looking at the pro's and cons and the history of the plan. http://youtu.be/yUEHWhO_HdY http://www.flickr.com/photos/smallri...6607/lightbox/ |