More than 64 kilometres of Lambeth’s kerbside is now being used sustainably, transforming public space typically used for parking into protected cycle lanes, bike storage and parklets for local people to gather.
Progress
Lambeth Council has published its first Kerbside Progress Report, showcasing how the borough is taking to reclaim kerbside space to make healthier streets. The kerbside is the area between the road and pavement that is currently mostly car parking spaces.
The 2023–2025 Progress Report shows that Lambeth has nearly doubled the kerbside space used sustainably from six per cent to 10.2 per cent.
In Lambeth the kerbside makes up around a third of the public space. For decades this critical area has been overlooked, prioritised as space for private vehicle storage, even though 60 per cent of Lambeth households do not own a car. Lambeth’s Kerbside Strategy, launched in January 2023, rethinks this assumption and commits to reallocating 25 per cent of kerbside space for sustainable uses by 2030.
Word from the Cabinet
Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said: “This report proves that our streets in our busy London borough can be reimagined to adapt to the challenges of a twenty first century city.
“Our kerbside space is one of the largest public assets we own, and we’re using it to help more people walk and cycle and make access to public space more equitable. From climate resilience to active travel and cleaner air, our achievements in delivering the Kerbside Strategy so far highlight our ambition to make Lambeth a fairer, greener, and more liveable borough.
“We are proud to deliver these positive changes to our streets and build neighbourhoods fit for the future.”
The council has worked to transform the kerbside to space that supports active travel, improves air quality, creates greener environments and promote equity in access to public space in a borough where most people line in flats.
Priorities
The strategy is built on four priorities: enabling accessible and active travel, creating places for people, increasing climate resilience, and reducing traffic and emissions. Key achievements up to April this year highlighted in the report include:
- 266 new residential cycle hangars, offering 1,596 secure spaces
- 12 new bays of on-street cycle stands
- 2.8km of new protected cycle tracks
- 189 dedicated bays for e-bikes and e-scooters
- 348 new electric vehicle charging points, delivered via a publicly owned and operated model
- 6 community parklets and 3 business parklets
- 1,851 new street trees delivered as part of our Urban Forest Strategy
- 13 Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) installed to combat surface water flooding
In line with Kerbside Strategy’s pricing principles, the council has also introduced a range of pricing measures to encourage sustainable transport and reduce pollution. These include emissions-based parking charges, an expansion of the diesel surcharge and a reduction in cycle hangar fees to just £30 per year, because a family of four should not have to pay more to park their bikes than a car at the kerbside.
The report also highlights Lambeth’s trial of business cycle hangars, helping small businesses in Waterloo to provide secure bike parking for employees, so more people can cycle to work and store their bikes securely without worry. It also features Lambeth’s Own and Operate model for EV charging infrastructure which is unlocking knock on benefits for the borough.
Lambeth’s kerbside transformation supports the borough’s wider climate and sustainability targets, including ensuring 85 per cent of trips are made by walking, wheeling, or public transport by 2041 and making public space more inclusive, climate-resilient, and community-focused.
Find out more
To read the new progress report visit:
