Lewisham Council has unveiled proposals to reimagine the borough’s roads and streets in order to reduce air pollution, improve road safety and encourage more people to walk, cycle or use public transport.
The Sustainable Streets programme proposes to make better use of road space and pavements in the borough by installing more trees, secure cycle storage hangars and electric vehicle charging points, as well as improving road safety by restricting parking at junctions.
These improvements will be coupled with a new parking permit scheme for residents and businesses that will ensure parking is prioritised for local people and businesses, as well as reducing unnecessary car journeys and encouraging more people to walk, cycle or use public transport.
Despite half of Lewisham households not owning a car, 60% of all road space in the borough is currently used for on-street parking and Lewisham has more unrestricted street parking than any other inner London borough. The proposed improvements aim to make better use of this space in order to prioritise active travel, create safer streets for residents and help make Lewisham a net-zero borough by 2030.
The programme will be rolled out in phases across the borough, with initial proposals unveiled for the roads around Deptford and Catford/Crofton Park. The combined proposals for these two areas include new secure cycle storage for nearly 500 bikes, over 300 additional street trees and almost 100 electric vehicle charging points.
If parking permit schemes are introduced in these areas, residents and businesses will be entitled to a 15% discount on their annual permit for the first year.
Cllr Louise Krupski, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Action, said: “We want to reimagine our borough’s roads and streets to create a greener Lewisham, improve road safety and help reduce air pollution. Our Sustainable Streets programme is just the start of our ambition to increase active travel and reduce car unnecessary car journeys, as we look to create a net-zero borough and tackle the Climate Emergency.”
