Streatham Branch of Lambeth Conservatives regrets TfL’s decision to proceed with this scheme for the following reasons:
- structure;
- cost;
- lack of strategic plan at either end of the scheme;
Work commenced on this transformational scheme for the A23 between Sternhold Avenue at Streatham Hill and Holmewood Road on Brixton Hill on Monday. The work is anticipated to take 21 months to complete.
Background information and the need for change
Streatham Conservatives were sympathetic to the safety concerns expressed both by the Safer A23 Campaign and the Streatham Action civic group between 2015 and 2017, at a time when concerns about safety on the A23 southbound between the South Circular and Streatham Hill station was at its most intense, and would have welcomed an improvement scheme for this stretch of the A23 southbound.
That need has, however, subsequently morphed into a scheme reconfiguring the complete road structure in both directions between Streatham Hill Station and Holmewood Road, in line with the Mayor’s strategy for more people to walk, wheel and cycle, whilst losing sight of the continuing long-term role of the A23 as a major south London arterial road.
The structure of the scheme
We have considerable concerns in relation to the construction of a two-way cycle lane, on the basis that it will crisscross the road twice over this c.800m of roadway reconfiguration.
The fact that cyclists are entitled not only to use their own designated cycle lane space, but also to use bus lanes and/or vehicular lanes, begs the question: What proportion of cyclists do you anticipate will prefer to use the new two-way cycle lane in the spring of 2027 in preference to the road itself?
The cost of the scheme
Neil Garratt, AM for Croydon & Sutton and member of the GLA Transport Committee comments: “I’m very concerned that the costs of this Healthy Route scheme have escalated over recent months from the previously quoted figure of £8.4-9m to a figure now that is likely to be c.£20-25m. How much more will this cost go up before the work is finished?”
The lack of strategic plan at either end of the scheme
Neil Salt, Constituency Officer for Streatham & Croydon North, calls upon TfL to provide detail of its vision for the extension of safer cycling along the A23 corridor north and south of this short stretch of “transformational scheme” and/or on adjacent roads:
“It’s concerning that nobody from TfL has so far been able to explain any joined-up design plan for a safe cycling route along the A23 corridor through Brixton, Streatham and beyond, whilst maintaining the road’s use as a key south London arterial route. Safe cycling is fully up and running on the A3/A24 through Stockwell, Clapham, Balham and beyond and the numbers of commuter cyclists evidence this. What are your intentions for a safe cycling route on and around the A23 corridor through south London?”
Summary
There are many other needs for improvements to Streatham’s transport infrastructure and we at the Streatham Branch of Lambeth Conservatives would have preferred to have seen much of this now £20-25m of scarce TfL capital resource allocated to other transport infrastructure improvements for Streatham, whilst also addressing the key aspect of safety improvement needs southbound through Streatham Hill and around the Arriva bus garage.
