Updated recommendations for Sustainable Streets programme published

Our Sustainable Streets programme aims to reduce the number of car journeys made in Lewisham and encourage more people to walk, cycle or use public transport, in order to reduce air pollution, traffic and congestion, improve road safety and lower carbon emissions.

With unrestricted parking on 75% of our roads – the lowest of any inner London borough - improving parking management and introducing more sustainable transport measures are both crucial for reducing the number of unnecessary car journeys and supporting a shift towards active travel.

Earlier this year, we consulted residents and businesses in Deptford and Crofton Park/Catford on proposals for Phase One of our Sustainable Streets programme. The proposals included the introduction of new parking permit schemes, cycle hangars, EV charging points, street trees, disabled parking bays, car club bays and safer crossings and junctions.

Following a review of the consultation responses, updated recommendations for the Sustainable Streets programme will be considered by Mayor and Cabinet at their next meeting on Wednesday 19 July.

If these recommendations are approved, the programme will be rolled out in full across Deptford, with detailed plans for individual streets updated in response to feedback from residents and businesses.

The recommendations also propose that the programme is rolled out in full in two smaller areas in Catford and Crofton Park, in response to consultation feedback. If approved, the programme will be rolled out on two roads around Honor Oak Park station (on Ballina Street and Grierson Road, up to junction of Parbury Road) and three roads around Ravensbourne Park (on Chilthorne Close, Ravensbourne Park and Ravensbourne Park Crescent).

View the areas where we are proposing to roll out the Sustainable Streets programme in Phase One.

Consultation feedback showed strong support in all areas for improving safety at junctions. As a result, double yellow lines will be introduced at junctions on all roads which formed part of the Phase One consultation zone in Deptford, Catford and Crofton Park, helping to improve road safety in these areas.

Mayor and Cabinet will also consider a recommendation to update our parking policy to allow disabled parking permit holders to park in any controlled parking zone in the borough free of charge. This will help minimise the impact of new controlled parking zones on people with mobility issues who require a vehicle to travel around the borough.

If the recommendations are approved, implementation of the new measures will begin from October 2023. Residents on roads where the programme is being rolled out will be written to in September 2023 with further information, including details about how to apply for parking permits. Residents and businesses in new controlled parking zones will be entitled to a 15% discount for the first year of their parking permit.

Deptford

663 responses were received from the Deptford consultation area. The consultation responses showed high levels of support for the majority of measures proposed in the Sustainable Streets programme – including cycle hangars, EV charging points, street trees, disabled parking bays, car club bays and safer crossings and junctions

There were mixed levels of support for the introduction of parking permits, with opposition higher among car owners compared to non-car owners. Car owners were significantly overrepresented in the consultation responses – 65% of respondents owned a car, while census data indicates that car ownership is around 40% in the Deptford area.

Taking into account the consultation responses and the wider aims of the Sustainable Streets programme to reduce air pollution, improve road safety and lower carbon emissions, it is proposed that the Sustainable Streets programme is rolled out in full across Deptford.

If the recommendations are approved, parking restrictions will be in operation Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Detailed plans for individual streets have been updated in response to feedback from residents and businesses. 

Catford and Crofton Park

2,028 responses were received from the Catford and Crofton Park consultation area. The consultation responses showed high levels of support for the majority of measures proposed in the Sustainable Streets programme – including cycle hangars, EV charging points, street trees and safer crossings and junctions – as well as some support for the provision of disabled parking bay.

There were mixed levels of support for the introduction of car club bays and much lower levels of support for the introduction of parking permit schemes across the area as a whole. There were some areas within the consultation zone that showed support for all measures proposed within the Sustainable Streets programme, including parking permit schemes, with respondents in these areas highlighting issues with commuter parking and a lack of secure cycle storage.

Taking into account the consultation responses and the wider aims of the Sustainable Streets programme to reduce air pollution, improve road safety and lower carbon emissions, it is proposed that the Sustainable Streets programme is rolled out in two smaller areas:

• Honor Oak Park station: on Ballina Street and Grierson Road, up to the junction of Parbury Road.
• Ravensbourne Park: on Chilthorne Close, Ravensbourne Park and Ravensbourne Park Crescent.

New cycle hangars, EV charging points, street trees, disabled parking bays, car club bays and parking permit schemes would be introduced in these areas as part of the proposals. This reflects the higher levels of support for the introduction of all measures in these areas. If the recommendations are approved, parking restrictions will be in operation Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Detailed plans for these streets have been updated in response to feedback from residents and businesses.

Given the high levels of support for improving the safety of crossing and junctions, the recommendations propose that double yellow lines are introduced at junctions on all roads which formed part of the Phase One consultation zone in Catford and Crofton Park, helping to improve road safety in this area.

Future phases

The recommendations being considered by Mayor and Cabinet also set out proposals for future phases of the Sustainable Streets programme.

It is recommended that consultation on Sustainable Streets proposals for streets in Evelyn are progressed next. This reflects the fact that the area is bordered by existing CPZs in Southwark and the proposed new CPZ in Deptford, creating a small area of unrestricted parking which is potentially susceptible to parking displacement. Feedback received during the Phase One consultation indicated that potential parking displacement was a significant concern for residents in Evelyn. It is anticipated that consultation on proposals for Evelyn will take place in August and September 2023.

Areas with existing controlled parking zones will also be consulted as part of the Sustainable Streets programme, to review the impact of existing CPZs and identify where other measures within the programme can be rolled out. The first areas to be consulted will be Lewisham (Zone B), Blackheath (Zone BHA) and Rushey Green West (Zone E). It is anticipated that consultation and engagement for these areas will take place in October 2023.

The recommendations also propose an adjusted phasing of the Sustainable Streets programme. Following Evelyn, the next areas identified for the Sustainable Streets programme will be: Hither Green and Lee, Forest Hill, Brockley, New Cross Gate and Catford South. In response to feedback received during the Phase One consultation, a revised two-stage engagement and consultation process will be implemented for these areas. This will involve an initial engagement period to help inform the development of detailed proposals, followed by a full public consultation on these proposals. A timeline for consultation and engagement for these areas will be confirmed in Autumn 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the new controlled parking zones be introduced?

If the recommendations are approved, Traffic Management Orders will be made in August 2023. Following the statutory consultation period for these orders and consideration of any comments, the installation of new bays and signage will take place in October 2023.

Residents and businesses in areas where new controlled parking zones are being introduced will be written to with information about how to apply for a parking permit ahead of the new zones being installed.

As set out in the original proposals, residents and businesses in new controlled parking zones will receive a 15% discount on the cost of their parking permit for the first year.

How much do parking permits cost?

As part of our work to improve air quality in the borough, the cost of a parking permit is calculated based on the emissions of a vehicle, with more polluting vehicles charged more.

Based on existing vehicles in the borough, the average cost of a residential parking permit is around £8.15-9.20 a month taking into account the proposed 15% discount.

You can check how much a parking permit would cost for your vehicle using our online permit calculator tool.

Residents are now able to pay for their permit in monthly instalments via direct debit, helping to reduce the financial impact of purchasing a new permit.

I am worried about more cars parking on my road as a result of parking permit schemes being introduced on neighbouring streets – what should I do?

We recognise that parking displacement can occur when new parking permit schemes are introduced.

If you are concerned about parking displacement on your street, you can register your interest in a controlled parking zone for your road through our online form.

We are planning to roll out our Sustainable Streets programme – which includes the introduction of parking permit schemes – across the borough in a phased approach. The next area to be consulted will be Evelyn, given the proximity of neighbouring CPZs in Southwark and the new CPZ proposed for Deptford.

The next areas identified for engagement and consultation after Evelyn are Hither Green and Lee, Forest Hill, Brockley, New Cross Gate and Catford South.

I live in a ‘car-free’ development in one of these areas but currently own a vehicle – will I be able to apply for a parking permit?

As part of the planning obligations of car-free developments, residents are not permitted to hold or apply for a parking permit within a CPZ. However, we recognise that in car-free developments outside of existing CPZs, some residents may currently own a vehicle.

To assist with the transition to no car ownership, residents of car-free developments within the proposed Sustainable Streets zones will be able to purchase a parking permit for up to 18 months.

We will also be ensuring that the installation of new car club bays is focused on areas around car-free developments, to support residents in these developments who may need to make certain journeys by car.

When will the new cycle hangars be installed? How can I apply for a space?

If the recommendations are approved, the installation of new cycle hangars will take place in October 2023.

You can register your interest for a space in a cycle hangar via our online form. When hangars are due to be installed, letters will be sent to households on the relevant roads with more information about how to apply for a space.

When will the new street trees be planted?

If the recommendations are approved, the planting of new street trees will take place during the upcoming planting season (October 2023 to March 2024).

When will the double yellow lines at junctions be painted?

If the recommendations are approved, double yellow lines will be painted at the junctions of all roads in the Phase One consultation area in October 2023.

When will the new electric vehicle charging points be installed?

If the recommendations are approved, new electric vehicle charging points will be installed in phases from November 2023. 

When will the new car club bays be installed?

If the recommendations are approved, the installation of new car club bays will take place in October 2023.

There were mixed levels of support for parking permits in Deptford – why are you recommending that the Sustainable Streets programme is rolled out in full in this area?

The consultation on our Sustainable Streets programme aimed to gather feedback from residents and businesses on the proposals for Deptford and provide an indication of attitudes towards the various measures proposed.

Consultations do not operate in the same way as a referendum and the consultation feedback has been used to shape the final recommendations for the Sustainable Streets programme, alongside our existing policies in relation to transport, parking and air quality and our mission to reduce air pollution, improve road safety and lower carbon emissions.

While there were mixed levels of support for parking permits in Deptford, a significant proportion of residents and businesses indicated support for these measures and there were high levels of support for all other measures proposed. Non-car owners – who make up the majority of Deptford residents – also indicated much higher levels of support for the introduction of parking permit schemes, but were underrepresented in the consultation responses.

I wanted to see some of the measures proposed on my road, but not parking permits – why was this not possible?

With limited financial resources available to the Council, introducing the sustainable transport measures originally proposed would only be possible with the funding from the accompanying parking permit schemes.

These measures also require the reallocation of road space which is currently used for parking. As a result, parking permit schemes are needed to ensure that the remaining parking space is prioritised for local residents and businesses.

I wanted to see the Sustainable Streets programme rolled out on my road in Catford and Crofton Park, but other people objected – will there be future opportunities for consultation?

We understand that residents who were supportive of the full package measures will be disappointed that the recommendations for the roll-out of the Sustainable Streets programme do not include their road.

The next phases of engagement and consultation for the Sustainable Streets programme will focus on other parts of the borough. However, if there is significant demand for the Sustainable Streets programme to be rolled out from residents in areas previously consulted, we will review possible opportunities to carry out further engagement and consultation.

Why are parking permits being introduced on my road when lots of people said they didn’t want them?

The consultation on our Sustainable Streets programme aimed to gather feedback from residents and businesses on the proposals and provide an indication of attitudes towards the various measures proposed, including parking permit schemes.

Consultations do not operate in the same way as a referendum and the consultation feedback has been used to shape the final recommendations for the Sustainable Streets programme, alongside our existing policies in relation to transport, parking and air quality and our mission to reduce air pollution, improve road safety and lower carbon emissions.

The consultation responses showed that on some roads there was a mixture of views in relation to the introduction of parking permit schemes. When designing controlled parking zones, it is standard practice to implement restrictions across more than one road and create a coherent zone, rather than approaching this on a road-by-road basis. This is to avoid the potential parking displacement that could arise if one road in an area surrounded by roads with parking permit schemes was not included in the controlled parking zone.

As a result, some roads with lower levels of support for parking permit schemes may still have been included in the areas proposed for rolling out the Sustainable Streets programme in these recommendations.