Next week, extensive highways improvements will take place on Little Roke Avenue in Kenley, as part of the Highways improvements in Kenley.
To enable this, Little Roke Avenue will be closed to traffic from its junction with Little Roke Road—including for residents. Parking will be suspended on Little Roke Avenue, with parking displacement likely onto surrounding roads, including:
- Little Roke Road
- Lower Road
- Roke Close
- Sylverdale Road
- Roke Lodge Road
- Roke Road
- Oaks Road and Oaks Way
We know this will cause disruption for residents of Little Roke Avenue and nearby streets, so we want to explain when the works are taking place, what’s being done, and why these works are necessary.
When the works are taking place
The works are scheduled to begin on Tuesday 22 July 2025 and are expected to finish no later than Sunday 31 August 2025, subject to no unforeseen delays. They’ve been timed to coincide with the school holidays, when traffic tends to be lighter.
We know that six weeks is a long time to live with this level of disruption—but understanding the detail behind it can sometimes help.
What’s being done
The works include:
- Installation of new soakaways and chambers, and replacement of existing gully pots to tackle frequent flooding near 91 & 94 Little Roke Avenue
- Deep cleaning, jetting, and CCTV survey of the drainage infrastructure
- Full carriageway resurfacing and new road markings
- Implementation of new parking arrangements
- Road cleansing before reopening
Why it’s happening
Flooding:
The bottom (Purley end) of Little Roke Avenue floods regularly during heavy rain. After residents raised concerns, we asked the council to inspect the drainage. In April 2023, Little Roke Avenue was closed for investigations, which found that a single soakaway was handling all the road’s surface water—clearly inadequate. The works will add new soakaways and improve existing gullies. We’ve reported before on the flooding that takes place here: Have your say on flood risk management in Kenley and Update on flooding hotspots in Kenley.
Access for emergency and waste vehicles:
Another long-standing issue is poor access for larger vehicles. Despite using a smaller refuse lorry, the waste collection team frequently struggles to reach homes when cars are parked on both sides. This also raises serious concerns about emergency vehicle access.
Following our request, the council asked the fire service to carry out a fire access safety review. The fire service expressed significant concern. We asked officers what could be done, and as a result, a consultation was launched on two options:
- Option 1: Double yellow lines on one side of the road (no parking at any time)
- Option 2: A footway parking exemption scheme—allowing one wheel on the footway on both sides, with double yellow lines only where absolutely necessary
An overwhelming 93.4% of residents supported Option 2, so the council is proceeding with the footway parking scheme. This will be implemented once the flood prevention works are complete.
Local impact and parking
We know the parking situation during the closure will be challenging. We’ve asked officers to explore temporary options, such as relaxing restrictions on Little Roke Road during the works. However, they’ve advised that parking on double yellow lines could obstruct access in this cul-de-sac leading up to the school—particularly as vehicles enter and exit—and might create confusion without clear signage.
Some Blue Badge holders have raised concerns about being able to park close to home. We’re pleased to confirm that the temporary Traffic Management Order includes three temporary disabled bays:
- Two on Little Roke Road near the junction
- One on Lower Road, by the footpath leading to the end of Little Roke Avenue.
These will be in place for the duration of the works and removed afterwards and are enforceable.
In closing
We understand how disruptive these works and the temporary parking restrictions will be—but we hope this explanation helps show why they’re necessary and how they aim to resolve long-standing problems.
We’d like to thank the many residents who’ve contacted us about issues on Little Roke Avenue. Your persistence has helped get these improvements underway. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch—we’re happy to help.: [email protected] and [email protected]
