a green walking network for southwark; outline from ......qw7 borough to crystal palace 18 qw...
TRANSCRIPT
A Green Walking Network for Southwark; Outline from Southwark
Living Streets (February 2019)
Background
• This document briefly sets out some initial ideas for a Green Walking Network for Southwark. On the
first two pages we set out why it is needed and how it might be developed.
• On the map on the third page, we suggest how it ties in with existing and proposed active networks
(eg the TfL Quietway programme) and the strategic London walking routes (eg Thames Path and
Green Chain Walk) and other initiatives such as planned regeneration projects in the borough (such
as the Greener Belt as part of the OKR AAP and the Low Line) and community led initiatives such as
Walk Elephant, East Walworth Green Links, the Peckham Coal Line and Dulwich Safer Routes to
School.
• The number references below relate to the routes that are shown on the map of page 3.
1. Vision
The vision is for a network of green, traffic free/traffic light walking routes across the borough which
will connect residents, workers school children and visitors to the numerous green and open spaces
that are on their doorstep and encourage them to venture further afield on safe attractive walking
routes. Southwark will develop a network to rival the most attractive places for walking in the UK and
encourage huge numbers of people to make far healthier and attractive choices as they travel around
the vast number of attractions that exist that are of national (eg Tate Modern) and local (eg The Blue)
significance.
2. What is the Southwark Green Walking Network?
• Southwark has an array of green and open spaces and parks that spread right across the borough. It
also has fantastic links to other amenities that are easily reached on foot including numerous town
centres, the River Thames and strategic walking routes such as the Green Chain Walk.
• BUT all too often people overlook the connections on foot between these places and where they live
and work. Choosing to walk can combat some of the serious public health problems that Southwark
faces and help more people to increase their levels of activity in the easiest and most convenient
way possible.
• The Green Walking Network is a response to this and seeks to connect:
- Green spaces (eg 1 East Walworth Green Links; 11 Green Chain Walk).
- Where people live to green spaces with improved walking routes (22 Camberwell Green to
Myatts Fields; 5 E&C to GMH Park; 21 Camberwell to Burgess Park).
- Town Centres - providing alternative walking routes between town centres away from main
roads (25 Herne Hill to Dulwich Village; 26 Peckham to Nunhead).
- Where people live to amenities (28 Peckham to the OKR).
- Town centres to amenities on routes away from main roads (12 E&C to London Bridge).
- Residents to key amenities (eg 8 OKR AAP Green Links will help link people living in the
centre of the borough make more visits to the river). A key task is to link people in the centre
and north of the borough to the array of green spaces in the south (Nunhead Cemetery,
Peckham Rye Park and the Green Chain Walk).
- Routes to school and facilitating walking to school (15 routes through West Walworth to
Crampton Primary School; 25 behind the Herne Hill Velodrome).
• Over time Southwark will be creating a network that will encourage walking to become a more
natural choice in the borough for:
- Shorter more functional journeys (trips to the shops, journeys to school or work) AND
- Longer leisure trips such as a walk to a park or the river and to link up with longer walking
routes across London.
3. Delivering the Network
The good news is that delivering the Green Walking Network does not require large interventions and
expense. Many elements of the network are already in existence, many routes would run through
Southwark’s array of parks and open spaces and other parts of the network tie in well with Southwark’s
major regeneration schemes or with other programmes such as the TfL Quietways, Liveable
Neighbourhoods and initiatives such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. Some new routes are needed BUT
much of the work that is needed is planning, design and co-ordination of activities and, as the network
is delivered, promotion of the walking routes that are on people’s doorsteps and the places that they
can now reach. The costs compared to the health benefits the routes will bring should be relatively
small. Below are some suggestions as to how the network will be delivered:
• The network need not be too complex. The map (page 3) shows that a limited number of new routes
will a) connect huge numbers of people to green walking routes across the borough and b) connect
them to amenities that are often overlooked (eg visiting the river and walks along the Thames Path).
• The interventions on the streets involved need not be huge. They might involve creating a safe
crossing or some traffic calming or introducing street trees. It is all about appropriate interventions
rather than wholesale and expensive public realm improvements such as mass footway widening.
• There is a strong fit with transport and planning policy across London and Southwark. Transport
policy in London and funding for it is now guided principally by Healthy Streets and the network
obviously fits perfectly with that. There is also a strong fit with Southwark policy such as the
Kerbside Strategy, the New Southwark Plan which prioritises walking in new developments and
regeneration schemes and hopefully with the new Transport Strategy.
• The project fits well too with what communities are themselves demanding. Community initiatives
such as Walk Elephant, the Peckham Coal Line, the Dulwich Safe Routes to Schools are all based on
the desire to be able to walk and cycle safely and pleasantly around particular parts of Southwark.
Surrey Canal Path
Bagshot Street –
East Walworth
Green Links
Stopford Road -
GreeningGreen Chain Walk -
Brockley Footpath
(Existing) Strategic
Walking Network Routes
Existing Green Links
(Existing and Proposed)
Quietways
1
3
2
Legend – Types of Routes
4
5
Walking Routes Links in
AAPs & Masterplans
6
8
7
9Proposed Walking Routes
10
11
11
Low Line Walking Routes
12
13
1415
16
17
17
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
http://openstreetmap.org/
Legend – The Routes
1Existing East
Walworth Green Link
2EWGL Extension Nursery
Row Park to Burgess Park
3 QW8 Link Burgess Park to
Kennington Park
4 Surrey Canal Path
5Walk Elephant – E&C to
Geraldine Mary
Harmsworth Park
6Canada Water Masterplan
Green Link
7Proposed cycle
foot bridge
8 OKR AAP Green Links
9 Peckham Coal Line
10 Thames Path
11 Green Chain Walk
12Walk Elephant – E&C
to London Bridge
13 QW14 Blackfriars to
Thames Path
14 QW1 Waterloo to
Greenwich
15Walk Elephant – E&C
to West Walworth
16Walk Elephant – Walworth
Rd to the Brandon Estate
17QW7 Borough to
Crystal Palace
18QW Dulwich to Peckham
Rye (exten’n to Nunhead)
19 Southwark Spine
20Southwark Park to
Walworth
21Burgess Park to
Camberwell Green
22Camberwell Green to
Myatts Fields
23 Greendale
24 Camberwell to Peckham
25 Herne Hill to Dulwich
Village
26Peckham Rye to
Nunhead
27 Nunhead to Lewisham
28Peckham to the Old
Kent Road
http://openstreetmap.org/Major Parks &
Open Spaces