PRIMARY school lessons in Ladbroke Grove are being disrupted by the noise of construction lorries using unapproved routes.
Trucks heading for the Kensington Academy and Leisure Centre development in North Kensington, have been travelling along St Mark’s Road, past Thomas Jones Primary School, which is not one of the routes agreed with Kensington and Chelsea Council.
Headteacher David Sellens said the noise has become so loud that teachers cannot be heard in lessons.
He said: “The part of St Mark’s Road adjacent to Thomas Jones School is being used by lorries transporting materials to and from the Kensington Aldridge Academy construction site. It is noisy and there is also clearly an impact on congestion.
“This has implications for pupils, especially at the beginning and the end of the school day.”
Labour Group leader Councillor Judith Blakeman carried out a survey this week to monitor the frequency of lorries driving along the residential road, which she claims they use as a rat run. She noted 18 lorries in just over an hour, from 7.50am to 9.10am. As part of the agreement with the council, lorries should use the route which runs from the southern end of the new academy site, along Cornwall Crescent to Ladbroke Grove.
Ms Blakeman said: "I spoke to Mr Sellens while I was monitoring the lorries, who by then was with his staff welcoming the children into the school. He told me that often they cannot hear to teach because of the noise made by the lorries driving over the road humps at up to 40mph.
"If these breaches by any driver of any company continue to threaten the safety, wellbeing and educational experience of the school children at Thomas Jones and the amenity of local residents, I suspect we will be able to mobilise the community to take more direct action, such as providing dated and timed photographs of any lorries that continue to breach the plan."
A spokesman for the council said: “The royal borough has been working with the contractors working on the KALC development, Bouygues Group Leadbitter, to ensure that their contractors’ vehicles only use approved routes to and from the site.
“It is fair to say that lorries making deliveries have not always been using the approved routes.
“This has been dealt with robustly by Bouygues Group Leadbitter, who regularly monitor the routes their contractors use to ensure they comply with the traffic management plan agreed with the council.
“Our environmental health department has also been carrying out regular visits to monitor emissions from the site such as dust from the rubble created from excavations.
“They have confirmed that all the correct monitoring systems are in place and there is no cause for concern from the information they have received to date.”
