Traffic, the condition of the streets and rubbish were the main concerns raised at the Ladywell Society’s Community Forum on 19 October 2026.
More than 50 residents along with ward councillors Ed Sutton and Robin McGhee and the local safer neighbourhood police team, PCs Brthany Rackstraw and Andrew Dobson, engaged in lively table discussions about the neighbourhood’s concerns and a range of possible fixes.
The key issues were:
Rat-running and speeding
Many people said “rat-running” and speeding were a problem, and Vicars Hill was cited by many as a particular blackspot.
Suggestions included closing some roads to deter through traffic. Residents also asked the council to stop its own refuse trucks using residential streets as a short cut on non-collection days, especially Algernon Road and Shell Road.
Specific locations mentioned by residents were:
- Chudleigh Road: vehicles speeding.
- Ladywell Road: residents have long requested electronic speed signs that show drivers their current speed.
- Brockley Grove: enforcement of parking restrictions.
- Algernon Road (Ladywell end): a safe crossing.
- Gillian Street: residents want advance communication about the closure, to avoid traffic chaos. They also wanted to know how the closure will work – what will happen to deliveries when it is off.
Healthier, greener streets
Residents want streets that are better to walk and cycle along. They called for improved and better-promoted cycle routes, including into and around Ladywell Fields, and for more bike racks and hangers.
Shared pedestrian and cyclist paths in Ladywell Fields need proper signage because some cyclists travel at speed, especially on e-bikes. Residents also asked for enforcement against cycling on the pavement.
Pavement quality was a major gripe. Residents said highways contractors often replace broken paving stones with ugly tarmac, that the raised crossovers in Ladywell Village have deteriorated badly, and that Thames Water needs to be pushed to get its work done faster.
They also want the council to write to homeowners encouraging them to deal with overhanging front-garden plants that narrow the pavement..
Greener ideas included sustainable drainage systems, “rain gardens” and “pocket gardens” on small sites and alongside roads, more tree planting to keep the area cool, better water storage, and wider promotion of climate awareness.
The forum also raised electric vehicle charging, with calls for cross-pavement charging and more charging points. It also raised e-bikes “dumped” all over the area, with a call for allocated bays and penalties for operators and users who don’t use them.
Fly-tipping, littering and “grotspots”
Residents felt that council staff, street cleaners included, should routinely report fly-tipping when they see it. They want the council to identify “hotspots” and repeat offenders, and to use cameras more.
Other suggestions:
- More council and volunteer street clean-ups.
- Proactive advice on proper use of bins and correct disposal of larger items.
- Better promotion of bulky waste collections.
- Communal skips or dumpsters at specific locations where appropriate, though not so many as to encourage dumping.
Bertrand Street rail bridge was named as a repeat fly-tipping site.
Other concerns
Residents also raised antisocial behaviour and phone snatching, particularly in the park and other locations. They suggested better lighting and CCTV, police awareness, and quicker action on graffiti.
Other issues included parking for Ladywell Village, the station and the hospital, the unreliable No. 484 bus, and a lack of places for young people to go. Slagrove Place was described as not always feeling safe to walk along in the dark.
Attendees also asked for more community meetings, including possibly a Saturday session, with wider publicity through local noticeboards, WhatsApp groups and leaflets so the whole Ladywell Ward is included.
The society survey
The Ladywell Society’s 2026 survey, which gathered 337 responses, found a similar set of priorities. The top concerns were: securing the future of the Playtower, traffic and healthy streets, the high street, and the quality of public spaces.
Traffic has the most committed backing, with 33% ranking it first, nearly twice the share for any other issue.
Street trees and greenery come a clear fifth, while events, crime, communication and parking make up the lower half.
When asked what they value most about Ladywell, 53% of written answers mentioned parks and green space, 36% the community and neighbours, and 34% the high street and independent shops.
At the forum, rat-running and speeding were a headline concern, with Vicars Hill singled out and residents asking for road closures to deter through traffic.
In the survey, traffic was the most frequent unprompted complaint, with 14 people raising it in their comments. It was the top concern for people who have lived in the ward for more than five years.
The survey also backs up the forum’s “healthier streets” agenda. Street trees and greenery rank fifth overall, and the five to 14 year residents who are most focused on traffic also rate public spaces and trees more highly than any other group.
Fly-tipping and clean streets were often raised in comments with one saying the amount of rubbish was making them think about leaving Ladywell.
Crime and antisocial behaviour were a forum theme, with phone snatching, drug dealing and calls for CCTV and lighting. In the survey it falls in the lower half of the ranking and is deeply divisive, with 8% ranking it first and 23% last.
Parking is the lowest priority in the survey, whereas the forum raised parking for Ladywell Village, the station and the hospital.
The survey’s top-ranked concern the Playtower was widely discussed at the forum but the council has since launched a consultation on the renovation plans of four bidders.
Broadly, the forum and survey point to essentially similar concerns of residents – calmer traffic, better-kept streets and protecting green spaces and the high street.