Lambeth Council has put forward plans for the “Stockwell Gardens healthy neighbourhood” a combination of traffic restrictions and public realm improvements to create healthier, greener and safer streets.
Under the proposals, traffic filters, that prevent most motor vehicles from driving through, would be implemented on Lingham Street, Crossford Street, Kimberley Road, Mayflower Road and Atherfold Road. Local traffic and deliveries would still be able access every street in the area, though some may need to take different routes.
A loading bay would also be introduced on Grantham Road to support businesses on the A3 Clapham Road, who reported a lack of loading bays available during engagement with the community.
New planting and seating would also be placed by the entrance to St Andrew’s Church of England (CofE) Primary School, to improve the space and reduce traffic during pick up and drop off times.
Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, Deputy Council Leader (Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air), said:
“Healthy neighbourhoods help people to be proud of their local streets as a calm and pleasant place to live and spend time.
“These proposals have been put forward to help make our streets safer, our air cleaner, and our neighbourhoods more liveable and I am particularly excited about the improvements outside the school. We want children to explore their local area with confidence and the streets to be community and family spaces again.
“We believe that taking a more holistic approach to improving our streets will play a significant part in making Lambeth a fairer, more accessible and climate resilient borough for everyone.”
The area includes the busy St Andrew’s Primary School, a school street has been introduced to reduce traffic and the healthy neighbourhood would build on the success of the scheme.
The proposals were developed through two stages of local engagement between 2023 and 2025 and the experimental traffic restrictions are expected to be introduced in September 2025.
Stockwell Gardens is considered a good location for a healthy neighbourhood scheme because:
- Stockwell Gardens has several streets where more than 75% of motor vehicles are only passing through. These small local roads were not designed to be significant through routes for motor traffic.
- Cut-through traffic increases road danger, including issues with speeding. In other healthy neighbourhoods, speeding has typically reduced by 75%.
- Data collected indicates that thousands of car trips take place every day on Kimberley Road, Clitheroe Road and Lingham Street.
- Over 65% of local households do not own a car or van, and there are excellent public transport links in the area.
- Just 5% of the kerbside is used sustainably, such as for cycle parking or electric vehicle charging. Our target for Lambeth as a whole is 25%.
Further details of the scheme will be shared with residents ahead of its introduction, including a letter to local homes and businesses and online via the council’s engagement site.
The council will monitor the impact of the scheme and consider feedback on it, including ‘objections’ made to the Experimental Traffic Management Order, the legal process under which the trial is being introduced.
Notes to editors
- A Cabinet Member Delegated Decision report has been published authorising the introduction of the scheme, subject to call-in.
- The trial is being introduced using a legal process called an Experimental Traffic Management Order (ETMO). An ETMO allows the council to trial changes, such as traffic filters, for up to 18 months. The first 6 months of the trial is an ‘objection period’ during which objections can be made to the scheme. Any scheme changes made during the trial period would trigger a further 6 month objection period.
- Some vehicles, including emergency services, are exempt from the filters. The vehicles that can drive through a filter are: emergency services, Blue Badge holders (on application), TfL buses and pedal cycles, rapid response healthcare providers, Category 1 Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, refuse collection vehicles and SEND transport vehicles – on application. The council’s dispensation application process for Blue Badge holders and SEND vehicles is published on its website.
- The council’s Healthy Neighbourhood Delivery Framework outlines how we develop and refine designs, from gathering data and exploring feasibility to testing layouts and making improvements based on resident and stakeholder feedback.
