The project will create five new green buildouts along Hercules Road, in Waterloo, and will replace parking area with new green spaces, cycle parking, more seating and space for people.
More than a dozen new street trees will also be planted to provide extra canopy cover, as well as adding more greenery to the neighbourhood.
Rezina Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport and Clean Air, Lambeth Council, said: “We are delighted to transform Hercules Road into a greener place where residents love to live and visitors love to spend time.
“We have already planted thousands of new trees across our borough over the last few years. We are on course to plant more this winter and over 5,000 new trees by 2026.
“Having access to green space is vital for peoples’ wellbeing, as well as providing shade and all sorts of other benefits. I am excited to work with our partners and see Hercules Road transformed in the months ahead.”
The project was devised by WeAreWaterloo, co-developed with Lambeth Council, and community engagement held last year found more than 80 percent those who responded either supported or strongly supported the plans.
WeAreWaterloo CEO Kate Poulter said: “We’re thrilled to be taking a step forward in this significant project for Waterloo that will not only enhance climate resilience, but also create green and welcoming spaces for our residents, local workers and visitors. The transformative scheme is a great example of collaboration between local stakeholders to drive improvements in our neighbourhood.”
Giles Goddard, Vicar of St John’s Church Waterloo added: “As Chair of the South Bank and Waterloo Sustains Us Steering Group and South Bank and Waterloo Neighbours, I am proud to support the Hercules Road project.
“The project will revitalise an underused part of Waterloo by creating new green space and seating and cycle parking. It will improve the area and provide residents with more opportunities for rest and recreation.
“The green infrastructure will also play a crucial role in absorbing rainfall and reducing surface water flooding. This project represents a big step forward for our shared vision for a fairer and greener South Bank and Waterloo.”
This transformation is part of a broader ambitions to create a fairer and greener neighbourhood under the South Bank and Waterloo Net Zero 2030 Strategy, a collaborative effort of the South Bank and Waterloo Sustains Us partnership involving Lambeth Council, South Bank and Waterloo Neighbours (SoWN), the WeAreWaterloo BID, South Bank BID, and South Bank Employers’ Group (SBEG).
The project is co-funded through a combination of support from South Bank and Waterloo Neighbours, Lambeth Council, and the WAW BID, using funding from the Mayor of London’s Air Quality Fund and Cross River Partnership’s Healthy Streets Everyday II (HSE II) programme. Additional design funding was secured through the GLA’s Grow Back Greener Fund.
The Healthy Streets Everyday II initiative is a 3-year programme that addresses overdependence on private vehicles, aiming to enhance air quality, safety, and overall wellbeing across six London boroughs and six Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).
