Protest Against Cycleway Held at Holland Park Roundabout
Local businesses say proposed changes will cause more congestion
Danny Lidgate, Managing Director at C Lidgate
April 3, 2025
A 175-year-old family-run butchers has warned plans to install a two-lane cycleway at Holland Park Roundabout will drive up congestion and threaten local businesses and jobs. Danny Lidgate, 45, Managing Director at C Lidgate in Holland Park Avenue, said businesses are already facing a tough operating environment, ‘and what we need is a bit of help, not further challenges’.
Helen Cansick, Transport for London’s Head of Healthy Streets Investment Planning, said the roundabout is one of the most dangerous on its road network, and that the changes ‘have been carefully designed to tackle road danger while enabling everyone to travel through the area efficiently’.
Under the scheme, which TfL has said is necessary to improve cyclists’ safety, the two-way protected cycle lane will run from Shepherd’s Bush Green through to Holland Park Avenue via the roundabout’s southern side. An additional section of priority bus lane is also envisaged, alongside improvements to the crossing outside Shepherd’s Bush station, and more sustainable drainage and greening.
A report detailing TfL’s decision to proceed with the proposal read: “The Holland Park Roundabout is a high-priority location for safety improvements as part of the Mayors Safer Junction Programme. Our ‘Vision Zero’ plan is for deaths and serious injuries from all road collisions to be eliminated from the streets by 2041.”
The plans have however drawn concern, largely due to fears over the impacts on pollution and congestion. A petition organised by former Conservative MP for Kensington, Felicity Buchan, received 2,720 signatures supporting her opposition to the works. Some traders have also raised the alarm, with C Lidgate previously telling ITV News they fear it could put them out of business.
TfL has said its own modelling indicated any traffic impacts are expected to be minimal, though data compiled for the Holland Park Traders Association claimed otherwise. Campaigners against the proposal argue it will make the area less safe, in-part due to the introduction of unprotected crossings at the roundabout, that it will increase congestion and air pollution, and that the data TfL provided is misleading.
They refer specifically to TfL’s claim that there were 54 collisions in the three-year period to May 2023. Instead, they say just one ‘slight’ accident is recorded on the roundabout itself, with TfL’s data incorporating the wider area. TfL has said collisions data looks across the scheme area, which is standard practice to ensure changes to roads are effective.
On Thursday morning (3 April ), Conservative London Assembly Member and Chair Andrew Boff joined a group of residents and business owners to protest the planned works. Mr Boff told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “It will result in more congestion and more pollution coming from idling traffic.
“We all know idling traffic is more polluting than free flowing traffic. And ironically, bearing in mind the motive behind this scheme is to improve the cycling experience, it actually becomes more dangerous for cyclists. It creates more blind spots, and creates conflict between cyclists and motorists when there shouldn’t be any.”
Mr Boff added the proposal appears to be a ‘knee-jerk reaction that cars are bad, walking and cycling good’. He said: “I’m very concerned this is in a long line of things that the Mayor [and TfL Chair, Sadiq Khan] has put in despite the concerns of local residents.”
Andrew Boff, London Assembly Member
Tony Temple, 79, a local resident, said his primary concern is air pollution, which he claimed would increase due to the feared impact on congestion. “The overwhelming impression that local residents have is TfL is determined to put through the scheme irrespective of needs,” he said.
Mr Lidgate, who is also the Chair of the Holland Park Traders Association, said he is similarly concerned about the proposal’s impacts on local traffic. He said modelling completed for the association found congestion would significantly worsen and make the roundabout less safe for cyclists. From a business perspective, Mr Lidgate said 10 per cent of his customers travel by car, and that they constitute 25 per cent of overall spend.
“If we lose those 10 per cent because they can’t come because of congestion, and they just change their shopping habits and order online or use Ocado, that’ll close local businesses and lose jobs,” he said.
Mr Lidgate added local businesses are already faced with a difficult trading environment, and that the proposed scheme risks making things even harder. He said: “It’s a real challenge at the moment anyway, and what we need is a bit of help, not further challenges.”
Ms Cansick said, “The Holland Park Roundabout is one of the most dangerous on our road network. We’re determined to make roads in London safer and the changes at the roundabout have been carefully designed to tackle road danger while enabling everyone to travel through the area efficiently.
“The consultation we undertook last year demonstrated that the majority of respondents thought our proposed changes would support more walking and cycling in the area. We always take congestion, including any impact on bus journey times and air quality, into careful consideration when designing schemes.
“Our detailed traffic modelling has shown that any traffic impacts are expected to be minimal, as we have ensured that there is enough space for motor traffic and buses to continue to travel effectively through the area. We value feedback from local residents and businesses and continue to engage with the local community as we move forwards with these important safety measures.”
The next steps involve TfL continuing work on a detailed design while liaising with the local authority, Hammersmith and Fulham Council. Further engagement is then planned later this year ahead of construction starting.
Ben Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter