A petition opposing the potential closure of the Gallows Corner flyover has garnered nearly 1,300 signatures.
Last week, Transport for London (TfL) warned it may have to close the flyover if it doesn’t receive further funding from the government.
More than £4billion has been provided throughout the pandemic, but TfL says it is still facing a £1.3bn funding gap for 2022/2023.
In response, Sharon Heron set up a petition calling for TfL and Havering Council to "work together" towards redesigning Gallows Corner.
"This is just a ridiculous situation," she said. "We’ve been promised as Havering residents for years and years and years that there would be safety improvements to the roundabout."
She believes the roundabout would only become more dangerous if the flyover, which was built "temporarily" 50 years ago, was closed: “Over the years there have been numerous accidents, numerous deaths. I know numerous people who go out of their way to completely avoid that roundabout. Driving on it can be a very scary experience at times.”
Cllr Damian White, leader of Havering Council, said the authority supports the petition: "We feel as equally let down by TfL and the mayor of London as residents do.
“For years residents have had to put up with a flyover that’s well past its sell-by-date and a junction that’s gridlocked, dangerous and simply unfit for purpose."
Grant MacMaster, an action team member of the Independent Harold Hill Residents Association – Gooshays, said the potential impact would be “devastating”.
“The government is playing politics with TfL, and TfL is playing politics with the government. But who loses out is local residents and obviously the real-life concerns aren’t anything about political parties," he said.
"They’re actually about the fact that our local air quality, at a time when we should be calling a climate emergency, is going to be absolutely tarnished.”
A TfL spokesperson said negotiations are “ongoing”: “Were TfL required to move to a 'managed decline’ scenario due to government funding not being forthcoming, our programme of larger renewals of structures and tunnels managed by TfL – such as Gallows Corner - would need to be reduced, leading to the deferral of some projects.
“These structures therefore could be at risk of closure until funding for their renewal becomes available.”
Since the news broke, Romford MP Andrew Rosindell alleged his constituency has “been treated like dirt” by City Hall, and the closure would result in “even more chaos on the roads”.
Romford MP Andrew Rosindell speaking in the Commons (Image: Cash Boyle)
View the petition at https://www.change.org/p/transport-for-london-gallows-corner-tfl-to-commit-to-funding-and-redesign
READ MORE: Heritage: How Gallows Corner got its sinister name
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