Ringways References

This is an experiment into how references might be collated and published for the Ringways articles. The references will not be placed on the pages themselves, to avoid it becoming too academic and even less readable, but instead will be collated here, with each key point in the text married up with its source.

Background

Early plans

New Road opened ca. 1756
Royal Commission on London Traffic: SJ 16

Rees Jeffreys' ring road proposal: SJ 16 has outline only

Traffic Board for London: SJ 16

Arterial Routes built by 1930s

Highway Development Survey 1937: SJ 16 has outline

Wartime plans

The County of London Plan, 1943: See County of London Plan (1943)

The Greater London Plan, 1944: See Greater London Plan (1944)

Post-war and beyond

Proposal to reverse roles of A and B rings: MT 95/86 discusses little else

Land for road construction not protected

M1 to terminate near Marble Arch: MT 112/67 & SJ 15

Motorway Box replaces A- and B-rings

Eastern side was pre-existing road proposal

LCC plans and omission of Motorway Box

West Cross Route planning status in 1962: West Cross Route: Interim Report on Stage I (1962) - document is dated April 1962

GLC purpose included planning of road network

Consultants brought in to assist GLC with planning: Letter from GLC to MoT (London Highways Division), 3 September 1968, held at MT 106/299

GLC unhappy with use of Abercrombie terminology

GLC's overall plan and timescale: HLG 159/572 has full timescale, and costs the scheme at £1.7bn

Evening Standard report with incorrect cost and rehousing numbers: Evening Standard 26/05/66, "That motorway box 'could cost £3000m'"

Camden suggesting higher capacity on North Cross Route

Epilogue

Correspondence between Ministry and GLC: T 319/1842 has memos in 1969 asking about "killing the whole project"

Estimate of cost at 1970: T 319/1842 has the GLC estimating £1,700m

GLDP as biggest inquiry in British history

Protest groups set up in South West London: The Borough News 16/10/70; p. 16 "Putney Motorway Action Group formed"; Further items to be added to this list.

Grove Park Group's analysis and report

Coalition of South London councils: Clapham Observer 11/02/72; "Councils combine to fight M-way 'madness'"

Barnes Motorway Action Group newspaper spread: Putney and Roehampton Herald 02/07/70 (held at Wandsworth Local History Service)

Layfield Report decision on Ringway 1: HLG 159/626 has the full decision on transport

DoE memo to Treasury recommending Layfield's proposals: T 319/2655

Government policy on Motorway Box: T 319/2655

Leaks in Sunday Times and Private Eye

T 319/2655 has details - specific editions are:

Sunday Times 11/02/1973; "The Motor Car Wins its Biggest Victory"

Sunday Times 18/02/1973; "Full Cabinet approves London's Motorway Box"

Private Eye 23/02/1973

Treasury memo puts Ringway 1 "out of the question": T 319/2655 includes memo dated 20/02/1973 from Diana Seammen to Mr Howard, stating "the Inner Motorway Box will never be implemented"

MoT merges R3 and R4 to form M25

GLC cancels R2 plans in favour of M25

A102(M), A40(M), M41 open to traffic by 1973

Motorways within Greater London downgraded

Ringway 1

See Category:Ringway 1.

Ringway 2

Objector arguing that R2 would only encourage cars

Objector from Strand-on-the-Green association

North Circular Road

Route, Hanger Lane - Woodford: This road was pre-existing; HLG 159/1024 indicates that the existing North Circular was to be upgraded

North Circular as Trunk Route: MT 106/151 indicates that, in 1961, the North Circular was the responsibility of the MoT

Ministry of Transport proposals, 1961: MT 106/151 for the report itself; MT 106/152 for accompanying plans and diagrams

Eastern Section

Route, Woodford - A13: GLC/TD/PM/CDO/07 shows new alignment that matches present

Route, A13 - Thamesmead

Route, Thamesmead - A2

MT 106/291 has descriptive outline

A406 previously terminated at Gants Hill

Proposed designation M15: Roads in England, 1973/74 for section listed as A406 - A13; SJ 25 includes reference to M15 through the R2/M11/M12 junction

1960s preference for tunnel: MT 106/291 describes a dual four-lane tunnel

Controversy surrounding Oxleas Wood

Resurrection of river crossing by Ken Livingstone: Referenced in The Guardian, 23 January 2002

Southern Section

Route, A2 - A23: MT 106/291 has descriptive outline

Route, A23 - A24: MT 106/291 has descriptive outline

Route, A24 - Wandsworth: MT 106/291 has descriptive outline

Junctions at Grove Park: HLG 159/959

Double-deck and interchange at Elmer's End: HLG 159/2316

Layout of A21 interchange: Lewisham Mercury, 04/12/1969; "Here's the Secret M-Way Map and all the Details"

M23 terminal interchange

GLC proposal to roof over sections

GLC consider R2 high priority

Western Link

Route, Wandsworth - M4: MT 106/291 has descriptive outline

Route, M4 - A40: MT 106/151

Lack of connection between motorway and relief roads in Wandsworth: MT 118/379 has plans of the local road network improvements with the motorway's location indicated, and does not show any connection to the motorway.

Artist's impression of motorway at Barnes Bridge: Uncredited press cutting at Richmond Local History Service. From the context it is likely to be from the Richmond Herald, 1966.