Walworth Streets for People update

Autumn 2022

Here’s your autumn update on Walworth’s schemes and the next steps

Southwark Council wants to change the way we use our streets to create a healthier, greener, more active environment, which is safe for everyone.

• Reduce traffic and create healthier streets for people that help to tackle the climate emergency
• Support businesses to prosper by making our High Streets places people want to travel to
• Improve road safety and air quality
• Encourage active and greener forms of travel to support healthier bodies and minds

We want to work with residents in Walworth to develop these aims further.

Cooks Road

A number of experimental traffic reduction measures were introduced in 2020 as part of the Walworth Streetspace scheme, including a traffic filter on Cooks Road. Two community meetings were held in July 2022 where we looked at the proposal to relocate the traffic filter to Dale Road or continue to retain the traffic filter at its current location on Cooks Road as permanent.

You said:

• Overall, you preferred the traffic filter to be kept at its current location instead of being moved to Dale Road.
• Concerns were raised regarding access for residents with cars and longer journeys.
• There is still a need to improve the street environment by improving the pavements, fixing pot holes and tackling dangerous driving.

We did:

• We are proposing to keep the traffic filter on Cooks Road at its current location. This is in response to your feedback and also recent monitoring data that shows the volume of motor vehicles on John Ruskin Street East was 25% less than pre-covid levels (June 2022). This means there is less harmful air pollution in John Ruskin Street particularly where there is a high footfall of children from the local school. Keeping the traffic filter as it is ensures that access traffic to the area is shared and Kennington Park Place and Cooks Road are safeguarded as key walking and cycling routes. With fewer motor vehicles, this makes journeys for cyclists and pedestrians safer and more enjoyable.
• We have also been looking at ways to improve access for residents who may need to use their cars and we will be working with Transport for London on this. Our aim is to reduce traffic and encourage active travel like walking and cycling, which is why we won’t be introducing a resident exemption scheme. We have however, provided exemptions for Southwark Blue Badge Holders to support those most in need. To apply for an exemption and check if you are eligible, go to southwark.gov.uk/streetspacebluebadgeexemptions
• We will be working with our maintenance team and housing on short-term improvements that we can make to the street environment. We want to continue working with the community on how we can begin to design the street space to make it look and feel even better.

June 2022 Monitoring Update

We have been monitoring motor traffic and cycle levels in Walworth from before the scheme was introduced to present-day to understand how traffic volumes have changed. Our latest monitoring from June 2022 show some positive results:

• West Walworth has seen a 27% reduction in motor vehicles and East Walworth a 30% reduction. Across the area, the volume of motor vehicles has reduced by 17%.
• Cycling has increased 41% in West Walworth and 37% in East Walworth.

We want to continue this positive change in Walworth through our schemes. We also recognise there is still work to be done, particularly along the Walworth Road corridor.

We will be continuing to monitor the scheme throughout 2022 to assess whether these trends that show a reduction in vehicles and increase in cycling, continue and also how we can further improve our streets for people.

What’s next

A statutory consultation process on the decision to keep the Cooks Road traffic filter in its current location as permanent started on 15 September 2022.

To take part in this statutory consultation process you can:

• Complete an online form at southwark.gov.uk/statutoryconsultationnotices  
• Provide a written representation either in objection or support to Cooks Road, quoting the traffic management order reference: TMO2223-017_Cooks Rd permanent

If you have any questions regarding this consultation process please email streetspace@southwark.gov.uk.

Creating Streets for People

We want to work with the community to transform Walworth; with new community spaces that put people at the front. These spaces will be opportunities for local people to become more active, with space for young people to play, for neighbours to socialise, for businesses to thrive and for the natural environment to be enhanced and protected to tackle the climate emergency.

We have already begun working with you on this across Walworth on the schemes below.

Liverpool Grove

We are transforming Liverpool Grove in September 2022 to create a new public space that provides more space for shoppers and local people to relax and enjoy, and complements the heritage of St Peter’s Church. To find out more go to www.southwark.gov.uk/liverpool-grove

Browning Street

We want to thank everyone who took part in the first phase of our engagement about how we can transform the space at Browning Street. We have reviewed your feedback and have updated the designs with your comments. On 20 September 2022 we began consulting on the updated designs, which will help us make the final decision. If you would like to be involved or find out more, please go to www.southwark.gov.uk/browning-street  

Penton Place area and Chapter Road

Following the decision to keep a number of the Streetspace measures as permanent we are about to begin our next phase of engagement with local people on how we can create new spaces for the community to enjoy, and encourage more play and physical activity for young people particularly on the journey to school.

We are looking to start this engagement later this year. Further information will be posted at http://www.southwark.gov.uk/oh-walworth-review

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