The original proposal to create a walking and cycling route from the Waterlink Way just south of Catford to Forest Hill via Elm Lane goes back to 2014.  The most direct route between Catford and Forest Hill is the South Circular road which is heavily trafficked at most times of the day and very inhospitable for walking and cycling. This proposed alternative route uses quiet back roads and off-road cut-throughs (see original proposed route below).

Discussions with local Councillors regarding this route continued for several years without much tangible progress being made. However in late 2021, with the advent of the Ward-based Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) programme, Lewisham Cyclists (LC), in collaboration with Friends of Elm Lane (FoEL), were able to submit a proposal to Lewisham Council for the funding of a Feasibility Study for the route. In March 2022 we were awarded £15K by the Council and once the funds were transferred in 2023 work commenced.

Elm Lane (visualised at the top of the post) is a key link in the route and is currently a severely pot-holed unadopted section of road. Upgrading Elm Lane is essential to the success of the project. Therefore in 2023 we commissioned two investigations into Elm Lane – the ‘Stats’ report (which lists all utilities in the road) and a Utilities Radar Survey (which shows the line of the utility ducts and pipes plus their depth below the surface). These are both needed before any sort of resurfacing work could be done.

Subsequently in Autumn 2023 we commissioned Sustrans to prepare a Feasibility Report into the whole route. After an information gathering onsite visit between Sustrans, LC and FoEL representatives, this study was compiled and delivered by Sustrans in March 2024.

Here is a visualisation of how the proposed route would look at Shipman Road in the outskirts of Forest Hill:

The full Sustrans report, containing visualisations and designs for the key interventions required along the route, can be found here:

https://lewishamcyclists.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Sustrans-Catford-to-Forest-Hill-Feasibility-Study-240301-FINAL.pdf

What happens next:

Council Officers will investigate the legal status of Elm Lane plus the feasibility and costs for adoption & resurfacing of the Lane. FoEL will continue to engage with local Stakeholders and Residents to keep moving this element of the project forward. You can contact FoEL at elmlanefriends@gmail.com

The campaign will also continue to establish C2FH as a priority Active Travel route in Lewisham so it can qualify for Cycle Network Development (CND) funding from TfL and/or Development funding from Lewisham Council.

If you are interested in being involved in ongoing campaigning for this route please email us at lewishamcyclists@gmail.com or come along to one of our friendly & informal monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month at 630pm (in person or online).

Our main focus this year is in conjunction with the London Cycling Campaign’s Climate Safe Streets Campaign, on the back of the reports released over the two years. You can find here.

Our longer term campaign objectives have been clearly and excellently set out visually on this map. If you want a schematic version, this gives you some idea of why we want the Lewisham Spine Cycleway to be brought forward.

The map is pretty comprehensive, we believe, although isn’t an exhaustive list. There are undoubtedly a few things we don’t cover in the map that we would love to add. However, we have to be realistic when setting out what we can deal with as a volunteer run group. Everybody who gives up their time to work with us have full and busy personal, family and work lives as well. So, although we regret leaving a few things off the list, we believe this map sets out a good framework for campaigning and helps those new to the group to understand our priorities. We review these on an ongoing basis.

Even if it doesn’t cover everything, the map covers an awful lot. And, you may have noticed, our council has a long way to go before it begins to reach even its own targets set in the boroughs cycling strategy back in 2017. Let alone everything on our map.

So, as we approach 2 years on from the elections in 2022, we have pulled out some of the key priorities from the map, which we believe it would be reasonable to expect any council to deliver in one term, especially one which has declared a climate emergency, has declared a commitment to increasing active travel and desperately needs to sort out the unacceptable levels of congestion, road danger and noise and air pollution its residents currently suffer. Enabling those who want to cycle to do so is one strand in any policy to tackle these issues.

The key pledges we are asking the council to commit to are available here, summarised below as follows.

• 1. Safe Cycle Routes

      Target: Build 10km of protected cycle lanes on key main roads

How? Bring forward plans for Lewisham Spine route on Deptford Church Street and Brookmilll Road, as well as other areas in the borough identified below.

• 2. Liveable Neighbourhoods                                                                                    Target: Enable shift to active travel and enhance the public realm        

      How? More School streets, much more secure cycle parking (300 additional Cycle Hangers), modal filters and two-way cycling on one-way streets (20 conversions).

• 3. Dedicated Active Travel Fund

Target: Commit consistent funds to enabling active travel

How? Allocate a defined proportion of Highways budget, including parking revenues, plus contributions from S106, CIL and NCIL Borough-wide funds to a dedicated active travel fund. Additional to TfL LIP funding which is not currently assured. Enable an ongoing pipeline of active travel schemes. Eliminate historic stop/start in these activities.

Want to find out more? email us on lewishamcyclists@gmail.com and come to one of our meetings, you can find out when they’re held on the calendar.

The link to respond to the consultation is here

A plan at last for segregated cycle lanes on Deptford Church Street (DCS), shown here by Lewisham Council .

If you’re short on time to read what’s below, you can find our group consultation response here.

We’ve already seen kids cycling to school on Jamaica Road (the Southwark section of Cycleway 4), with your support that could be coming to DCS?

The link to respond to the consultation is here

The proposals include a map detailing the scheme being brought forward. Whilst there are some compromises, the scheme proposed is a very good scheme overall which should be supported allowing for integration into existing routes (C4, C10 and Waterlink Way), but also allowing for possible future improvements.

There are some elements missing from the drawing, including the type of segregation to be used at certain points, which we’ve highlighted with red dots in the picture below.

We have been told by Lewisham Council that protection will be provided on these sections, but the type to be used is still to be confirmed.

So in Question 1, please tell them clearly you support this the scheme but want some additional features to be confirmed.

N.B. The survey only has one question followed by some standard equalities questions so should only take 5 minutes to complete.

In terms of key issues here are some things we think you could mention in your response to Question 1.

1. Say you’re fully supportive of protected cycle lanes along DCS.
2. Where not shown in the pictures, we think the segregated lanes should use either bolt down kerbs or wand orcas (locations shown by red dots in pic above above) a bit like these.

3. Encourage Lewisham to get started ASAP. And that you are looking forward to seeing designs for the next phase of cycle lanes through Deptford Broadway junction and onward down Brookmill Road. Connecting Lewisham Town Centre to Central London with protected cycle lanes.
4. Describe how the scheme will make your cycle journeys in, to and from Deptford much safer and more direct.
5. If you have kids mention that the segregated lanes will allow you to ride through Deptford safely with children.
6. Remark that the proposed plans should make DCS a much calmer and more attractive place for walking to Deptford market.
7. Say you would like to see filtering of Creekside to eliminate rat-running traffic through that residential area.

You’ll need to provide the first part of your postcode (e.g. SE13, SE8) as well.

We also think it’s important to mention your personal story. If you think it’ll enable you to access Cycleway 4 more, which means a fully protected cycle route into large swathes of central London, TELL THEM IN YOUR RESPONSE.

We think it’ll mean more pictures like this (see below), as the route will connect Deptford Broadway, and help provide a safe route to Trinity Laban Conservatoire, multiple schools, residential housing estates and Lewisham College.

Our overall objectives are to push Lewisham Council and Transport for London to build protected lanes from Deptford all the way south to Downham via Brookmill Road, Lewisham Gateway and the A21 (Molesworth Street, Lewisham High Street, Rushey Green, Catford Town Centre and Bromley Road. If you support this, TELL THEM IN YOUR RESPONSE.

The deadline to respond is midday on Tuesday 2 January 2024.

We also believe Creekside and Berthon Street should be closed to through motor traffic. At Berthon Street, pocket park or similar public realm could be provided here.

Doing this would reduce any left hook risks across the proposed cycleway, reduce through traffic on Creekside and also allow for a better public realm scheme outside the Bird’s Nest Pub, also provide more green time for pedestrians and cycle traffic. Buses would also potentially benefit from faster journey times.

Lewisham Cyclists note that while the Deptford Church Street is managed by Lewisham Council, while Berthon Street itself is managed by Royal Borough of Greenwich. We believe both councils should work together to deliver wider benefits for residents from sides of the borough border, but that these elements shouldn’t delay the delivery of a protected lane on DCS to start with.

Lewisham Cyclists have been campaigning for protected cycle lanes on Deptford Church Street for upwards of 7 years, whilst Tideway works have been taking place. It’s also also 7 years since Lewisham council last built protected cycle lanes (Cycleway 4 was built by TfL), a short 250 metre two way track on Edward Street as part of Cycleway 10. Now we have finally have a plan to connect Cycleway 4 (green line on map below & Cycleway 10 (purple line) to NCN21 Waterlink way (red line).

And finally, this is a small section of road in the north of the borough (orange arrow on map below), which forms part of our wider vision for a North-South Lewisham Spine Cycleway, shown in blue on map below.

If you support our ideas, please mention them in your response. If you think we’ve missed anything, then get in contact.