Richmond council has revealed new proposals to change the road layout next to Hampton Court Palace to slash collisions.

The latest proposals include adding a new signalised pedestrian crossing on the northern arm of Hampton Court roundabout and two-way cycle facilities on Hampton Court Road between the roundabout and Chestnut Avenue to improve safety.

A report by council officers said Hampton Court roundabout had the highest number of collisions of any junction in the borough from 1 January 2018, to 31 January 2022.

It said many of the collisions were due to the closeness of the existing pedestrian crossings to the roundabout's entry and exit points – including vehicles suddenly stopping to allow pedestrians to use the crossings and queueing back from the crossings.

The council temporarily introduced new cycle lane and bus stop arrangements on Hampton Court Road between its junctions with Chestnut Avenue and the roundabout in 2020 to improve access for cyclists during social distancing.

It later won funding to develop a permanent scheme for a shared off-road cycle route linking the roundabout to Chestnut Avenue.

The council brought forward proposals for permanent measures to change the road layout in the area earlier this year, including scrapping the marked cycle lanes on both sides of Hampton Court Road, the zebra crossing on the northern arm of the Palace roundabout and the floating bus stop and parking arrangement next to Hampton Court Green.

The proposals also included the introduction of a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists next to the Palace between the roundabout and Chestnut Avenue, resurfacing of Hampton Court Road and a signalised crossing for pedestrians and cyclists next to Hampton Court Green and outside the Palace.

Moving the zebra crossing by Chestnut Avenue to the western side of the entrance gates into Bushy Park, adding off-peak drop-off points for coaches opposite the Green and installing raised entry at the Chestnut Avenue junction were also included in the proposals.

But the report revealed 208 out of 365 responses to a public consultation on the proposals, or 57%, objected to them.

Respondents raised particular concerns about the proposed shared path, including that it would increase conflict between cyclists and pedestrians.

Officers have now recommended the council amend the scheme to investigate adding a new signalised pedestrian crossing on the northern arm of the roundabout and two-way cycle facilities on Hampton Court Road between the roundabout and Chestnut Avenue, along with holding another public consultation on the revised scheme.

The report said: "The preliminary proposals consulted on are not supported by a wide range of road users and nearby frontages.

"However, amended proposals to consider dedicated cycle facilities and new signalised pedestrian crossing(s) on the northern arm of Hampton Court roundabout, to address personal injury collisions and provide improved facilities for vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists, appear to be supported."

The report said moving the crossing further north, away from the junction, would reduce the risk of collisions.

Upgrading it to a signalised crossing, it added, would reduce the likelihood of pedestrians walking out without drivers being aware and congestion during busy periods such as when special events are held at the Palace.

It also said the proposed two-way cycle facilities would allow cyclists to bypass the junction to improve safety.