Wandsworth is missing out on a massive package of traffic calming measures aimed at reducing the impact of congestion charges.

The Mayor has agreed to spend millions of pounds to try and stop drivers rat-running to avoid forking-out the £5 charge for entering the central London zone.

Councils were invited to think of improvements and bid for a share of the money, but Wandsworth failed to come up with a first-round bid, claiming it is too soon to know how the money could best be spent.

More than 230 schemes costing £43 million are planned, with £100 million set aside over three years.

The public will be consulted and work on most projects will start after the Mayors final decision on congestion charging in December.

Key junctions and roads will be upgraded, pelican crossings installed, the timing of traffic lights changed to improve traffic flow and 20 mile per hour zones introduced.

There are also likely to be thousands more road humps and speed cushions, plus more controlled parking zones which have proved unpopular with many Londoners.

The aim is to stop people dumping their cars for the day at the edge of the charging zone, although motorists groups have complained this is unfair without a better public transport system.

Wandsworth has been outspoken on congestion charging, claiming it will increase costs for small businesses and force cars onto the roads of boroughs which border the scheme, such as Wandsworth.

However it has declined to bid for any money. Neighbouring Lambeth is getting £6 million for traffic calming and even Merton, which does not directly border the zone, is getting £425,000 for new CPZs and a cycling and pedestrian safety scheme at Wimbledon station.

We would love to speak to Wandsworth and ensure the councils and residents get the most benefit out of our congestion scheme, said a spokesman for the Mayor.

But the councils executive member for transport and regeneration Councillor Kathy Tracey said it was too early to tell what measures were needed and preparations were being rushed by the Mayor.

What we want to happen is for Elspeth, Trinity and Latchmere roads to be taken out of the red route network but the Mayor seems to be embedding them ever deeper.

Its impossible to know how best to spend the money and we dont believe in spending it for nothing. We will come back with a bid when we see the impact of congestion charges.

By.Wendy Phillips