Brook Drive Neighbourhood Proposal

This proposal has been drawn up by several residents concerned about high and increasing levels of traffic cutting through the highlighted area. Broadly speaking, Brook Drive forms the dividing line with Southwark (Cathedrals Ward) above and Lambeth (Princes Ward) below.

The proposal is that Lambeth, Southwark and TfL cooperate to make changes so that drivers use the main road network instead of rat-running through the residential back streets of this neighbourhood, while retaining vehicle access to all properties.

This is to allow all residents to gain the benefits of calm streets that are already enjoyed by those of the streets in the grey area below, due to the installation, many years ago, of a gate (black line) at the junction with Brook Drive. Those who do drive (including delivery drivers, waste contractors, emergency services etc.) must still be able to reach properties, as they can do in the quiet streets of Walcot Square and St Mary's Gardens.



We invite residents of the area to sign up to support the proposal, and welcome suggestions on how to achieve a good result.

A consideration to bear in mind is a recent submission by the London Assembly to replace the Congestion Zone with a London wide Road Pricing Scheme. Drivers who currently avoid our streets, as they are within the Congestion Zone, would no longer have that inducement to stay out.

Some ideas from residents for cutting out through-traffic are outlined below. Amended with your input, we can offer the boroughs' traffic experts a starting point for devising a scheme to go out for consultation.

THE ISSUE
Several streets within this area are used as rat-runs, most notably Brook Drive as this time lapse video demonstrates. Residents are intimidated by the volume and noise of the traffic, and the carelessness of some drivers. Crossing the road feels unsafe and parents are unwilling to allow their children to travel independently. The traffic deters adults and children from cycling and walking in their neighbourhood. In addition it increases their exposure to air pollution.

Drivers from Westminster Bridge or Lambeth Bridge are allowed to cut through Brook Drive to reach Walworth Road rather than take the A roads.

It is crucial that measures to reduce traffic along Brook Drive don't displace it to other back streets, but rather that it moves to A roads.

Wincott Street, Gilbert Road and Renfrew Road form another rat-run. Archbishop Sumner Primary School, which has classrooms either side of Wincott Street, is particularly affected.

It is worth noting that, on an average day, no more than 1 in 10 households here are likely to have someone driving a car. This is due in part to low car ownership - Only 3 in 10 households in Cathedrals Ward have a car (2011 Census) and only 1/3rd of households in Princes Ward (2011 Census). In addition, the central London location and good public transport means that many car owners seldom drive.


BROOK DRIVE potential solution

The gate at the junction of Sullivan Road and Brook Drive (to the right of the picture below), which makes Walcot Square and St Mary's Gardens so calm, could instead be inexpensively turned 90° across Brook Drive ( the gate is moved from the black to the pink line on the map below).

The Kennington Road end of Brook Drive would join the Walcot Square and St Mary's Gardens quiet enclave. The Elephant and Castle end of Brook Drive would be part of a newly calmed enclave of streets.

Some northbound traffic from Kennington Park Road uses Dante Road and Hayles Street to avoid the Elephant and Castle. The junction of Churchyard Road and Brook Drive could be made cycle only, and similar measures could be taken at the Dante Road junction with Brook Drive to remove through traffic.

WINCOTT STREET, GILBERT ROAD and RENFREW ROAD potential solution

Traffic in both directions cuts through these streets between Kennington Road and Kennington Lane. Again, this is largely traffic avoiding using A roads to travel between Westminster and Walworth. 

Making Gilbert Road one way for motor vehicles turning off Kennington Lane would prevent traffic cutting eastbound from Kennington Road (Renfrew Road can stay two way). Banning the right turn onto Kennington Road from Reedworth Street would deter rat-runners heading to Lambeth Bridge or Westminster Bridge. There is a risk of some traffic continuing to cut through westbound by turning left, then right into Black Prince Road.

CHESTER WAY potential solution
Chester Way is already one-way preventing traffic running through from Kennington Lane to Kennington Road. If traffic cutting through from Kennington Road is an issue, then banning either the right or left turn from Kennington Road may be effective. Alternatively, Chester Way could be made one way from each of the main roads, so traffic exiting it must use Denny Street - unlikely to be worth the effort versus staying on the main road for through motorists.

RESOLVING CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER THE MAIN ROADS CAN COPE WITH THE MOTOR TRAFFIC
Many journeys currently made by private motor vehicle, such as the school run, are local and could beneficially be switched to public transport, on foot or cycled. There is also scope for consolidating deliveries in London (e.g. one company winning a tender to deliver packages within an area, rather than having DHL then Parcelforce then UPS vans delivering to an address), and considerable scope for moving deliveries to off peak times when the main roads are not congested. Local businesses such as Sparrows could be used for package delivery and collection.