Improvements planned for Streatham

The council has been working with TfL to prepare a £9 million investment in the A23 to make it safer, more pleasant and efficient for residents and visitors. As well as this, the council secured a new package of bus priority measures to streamline bus journeys that TfL will consult on later this year.

The council continues to work with residents, businesses and community groups to identify ways to improve Streatham including upgrades to transport infrastructure, cycle hangars, electric vehicle charging points, and a new high-quality Healthy Route from Streatham through Herne Hill to Peckham.

Last week, the council suspended the Streatham Wells low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) to allow time to implement a comprehensive package of improvements to the area.

The council is publishing the stage 1 monitoring report from the Streatham Wells LTN trial.

While the trial LTN reduced net traffic across the area and significantly improved road safety in the neighbourhood, it highlighted the wider transport challenges in the area.

Planned improvements include:

A new Streatham to Peckham Health Route through Herne Hill that will mean safe cycling for everyone.

Significant investment in the public realm around Streatham Green and Amesbury Avenue shopping parade.

Additional street and graffiti cleaning campaigns in the area to encourage local shopping.

New murals and investments in the pedestrian experience on Leithcote path and Russell’s footpath.

More continuous bus lanes along the a23 and enhanced enforcement measures to stop vehicles blocking the lanes.

The Council is working with Thames Water to review the frequency of their works on Leigham Court Road – There have been 73 Thames Water emergencies on Leigham Court Road, Valley Road and Leigham Vale since late 2020, with 34 of these requiring traffic management.

The Council will also enhance pavements and crossings along Leigham Court Road for those walking and wheeling in the area, as well as introduce road danger reduction measures to cut vehicle speeds.

There will be 50 new electric vehicle chargepoints so that those who need to drive can do so more cleanly. The council will consult on parking controls in the Streatham Wells area this year to tackle parking stress.

Lambeth Council is also raising with Network Rail the urgent need to restore step-free access to Streatham Station in light of concerns by passengers with mobility issues.

Cllr Rezina Chowdhury is writing to the Secretary of State for Transport to call for rail in Streatham to be given to TfL to allow more frequent overground-style services.

Already this Spring, the rail operators are trialling off-peak fares all day on Fridays, which will reduce the cost of travelling by train from Streatham.

The council is delivering a £125,000 Sustainable urban Drainage System to Sunnyhill Primary School in light of concerns about flood risk. A new school street will also be established in St Andrew’s Catholic School that will restrict motor vehicle traffic at peak drop-off and pick-up times.

Streatham is benefiting from 137 new trees planted this winter while there will be a further 18 cycle hangars installed by March next year.

Deputy leader Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, cabinet member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said: “The council has been working with local people to make Streatham a cleaner, more climate resilient and we are responding to concerns residents have for their local area.

“The Streatham High Road is the longest continuous high street in Europe but its clear more needs to be done to address congestion, danger and accessibility. That is why we are committing to this range of improvements that will benefit everyone and enable them to live healthier lives.”

“The trial Streatham Wells low traffic neighbourhood highlighted the work we need to do in order to support residents and businesses across Streatham. We need to improve, upgrade and enhance many different aspects of transport and the public realm in order to make sure people are able to get around and travel through the area.

“By working with our partners, we can ensure Streatham has the strong foundations required to build fairer, safer, and more sustainable transport in future.”