Greenwich Council has started a consultation on “sustainable streets” and controlled parking zones in several areas of the borough.
Residents in Charlton, Kidbrooke and Blackheath, Plumstead, Shooters Hill, West Thamesmead and Woolwich are being asked about what they think about traffic and parking in their areas as well as where they would like to see improvements such as trees and better-designed streets. Parts of the Page Estate and Progress Estate in Eltham are also included in the consultation.
In August 2022 the council unveiled a policy to have controlled parking zones (CPZs) in place across the borough, and the consultation is one way of testing the water on that – even if the materials do not say so explicitly. The council’s climate strategy, agreed in 2020, calls for a 45 per cent cut in car use in the borough.
Locals are asked to place as many pins as they like on a map of the borough and say how they feel about parking, traffic and other street issues. The council said that responses to an earlier consultation focusing solely on Woolwich would still be taken into consideration.
Budget proposals issued last month said that the CPZs could be in place by the end of the year in the affected areas, with the aim of generating £1 million a year by 2029. Formal consultations on any plans could take place between July and September.
Among those who could be affected are Charlton Athletic fans who park in streets south of Charlton Park when attending matches.
New trees, vehicle charging points, cycle parking, cycle lanes and “opportunities to improve the streetscape” are also under consideration, as well as “strategies to manage traffic flow and reduce the number of unnecessary car journeys”.
Issues already highlighted on the map include calls for Old Mill Road on Plumstead Common to be stopped up, problems with pavement parking in Herbert Road in Plumstead and the pedestrian crossing outside Woolwich Elizabeth Line station – due to be redesigned under TfL’s cycle lane proposals.
Leaflets have already started hitting doormats in Charlton, where some residents are complaining about increased traffic and antisocial behaviour from drivers since a part-time low-traffic neighbourhood was introduced nearby. The LTN is subject to a separate consultation.
However, locals there will be hoping the council’s knowledge of the area is better than that shown on a map in the leaflet, which has moved Charlton station to Woolwich Common.
Averil Lekau, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for transport, said: “We want to create streets that make better use of our existing road space and pavements. We’re committed to working closely with the community so we can design streets that prioritise people over cars, improve air quality, and enhance our neighbourhoods.”
The Sustainable Streets consultation is at sustainable-streets-rbg.commonplace.is until March 19.
Updated on March 4 to add that parts of Eltham are included in the consultation.
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