Water barriers in Kew will be turned into a semi-permanent cycle lane.

The barriers on Kew Road were put in to ensure the mandatory cycle lane was protected from parking transgressions as Kew Gardens reopened.

They will be upgraded after Richmond Council secured more than £250,000 of funding from Transport for London.

Works are due to start within weeks.

The council's chairman of its Transport and Air Quality Committee, Councillor Alexander Ehmann, said the TfL funds will enable it to "begin providing the alternative transport infrastructure that our residents now need".

As part of the borough's Post-Covid Transport Action Plan, the council is upgrading the barriers to include mandatory white lines marked with 'wands' and 'orcas' to help set out a more defined cycle route under an experimental traffic order.

The measures can stay in place for a maximum of 18 months after which a permanent traffic order is needed.

The council said it recognises that the change could have wider impacts (particularly as visitor numbers increase).

It will consult residents and businesses across Kew about the future operation of the existing Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) and on the possibility of implementing a new CPZ in the area around Kew Green.

Making Richmond 'cleaner, greener and safer'

Mr Ehmann said: "Our plans for transport changes were one of the first priorities for this council as we began to exit lockdown.

"The fact that Richmond have received one of the largest TfL settlements for new schemes is a testament to our forward-thinking and it will mean that we can begin providing the alternative transport infrastructure that our residents now need.

"The car parking outside Kew Gardens was unsustainable for so many reasons, but crucially because it encouraged visitors to come by car. The double-whammy was that all the parking came at the cost of valuable cycle lane.

"Overall the changes to the Kew Road have been very well received by residents and I am delighted that TfL recognised the importance of the changes through their funding support."

"The recovery from the Coronavirus lockdown gives us an unprecedented opportunity to help people to make transport choices for the better.

"If we take the right sorts of action we can avoid ever-more congested roads, worsening air quality and compromising road safety."

"The council await the outcome of our other funding bids. With the necessary resources, Richmond will take further strides with ambitious plans to make our communities cleaner, greener and safer."