Work at the London Power Tunnel site at the corner of King’s Avenue and Acre Lane is almost complete. A small building at the back of the site will be the only above-ground structure, and soon decisions will be made about how to use the rest of the site. We are petitioning Lambeth Council and the National Grid to use this opportunity to make the junction safer and cleaner for everyone.
We propose to use a strip along the length of the Kings Avenue side of the site to broaden the pavements and create safe cycle lanes in both directions, with a communal planted area facing Acre Lane.
These decisions will be made soon, so the time to speak up is now!
Details below
A Safer, Cleaner Junction at Kings Avenue, Acre Lane, Bedford Road and Clapham Park Road
Background
The northern end of Kings Avenue is one arm of a very busy four-way junction with Acre Lane, Clapham Park Road and Bedford Road. Both North/South and East/West directions are important distributor roads that link Brixton and Clapham, and the A3 at Clapham North with the South Circular at Streatham Hill. They carry several vital bus routes, and are the principal connective arteries in the area, and busy throughout the day.
The junction is controlled by traffic signals. There is no right turn from Bedford Road into Clapham Park Road, and north turning traffic from Acre Lane Bedford Road is staggered. There is also a pedestrian phase with an audible beep warning before the North/South traffic
The surrounding area is primarily residential, with a noticeable number of elderly people and people with disabilities, and families with young children. This part of Lambeth’s Liveable Brixton Neighbourhood. The site immediately to the South East of the junction, 159 Acre Lane, SW2, lies within a designated Key Industrial and Business Area (KIBA), and from this site National Grid is currently constructing the Wimbledon to New Cross phase of the London Power Tunnel.
Kings Avenue narrows significantly between its junction with Lyham Road and the junction in question. It is also offset at the junction with Bedford Road. The Kings Avenue provides the western boundary to the Clapham Park and Northbourne Road Conservation Area (CA17), and the pavement that abuts the three-storey flank wall of Bedford Villas, a pair of grade 2 listed buildings that front Clapham Park Road, is particularly narrow.
There are a number of schools nearby that rely on access from Kings Avenue. These include two Primary schools, one Early Years school, and a Sixth Form College, all of which front Kings Avenue a short distance from the junction. In addition, a Secondary school and a Primary school are located along Clarence Avenue, a short distance from where it joins King’s Avenue.
The Problem
Vehicular congestion at this junction is a perennial daily issue, especially during the morning rush hour and from 3pm – 6.30pm. As a result, air quality is very poor with fumes affecting residents, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Traffic jams are frequent. The queuing of vehicles waiting to turn right from Kings Avenue into Acre Lane backs up considerably, blocking buses and other road users. When the East/West phase opens vehicles trying to turn left into Kings Avenue from Acre Lane, and right from Clapham Park Road find that the vehicles in Kings Avenue are obstructing their path due to the narrowness of this section of highway. Traffic is regularly backed up for several minutes waiting for the jam to clear.
This also, understandably, results in vehicles continuing to cross the junction during the pedestrian phase, causing considerable danger to pedestrians, especially for those with young children and those with impaired vision, hearing or mobility.
The carriageway of Kings Avenue between Lyham Road and the traffic signals is barely wide enough for two large vehicles, eg buses and construction traffic, to pass, and cyclists are frequently forced to seek refuge on the pavement. Apart from the fact this is a contravention, this results in serious conflicts with pedestrians as the pavement on the West side of Kings Avenue is especially narrow at just 111cm in places, and is heavily used by young families on their way to and from school with small children and buggies. There have been multiple incidents along this stretch, both between vehicles and cyclists and between cyclists and pedestrians.
Proposed Solution
The London Power Tunnel construction is now nearing completion. An area on the southern portion of the site will be required for vehicular access and the construction of a ventilation shaft for inspection and maintenance purposes. This will leave be a sizable residual area at the front of the site for alternative uses.
It is proposed that part of this site be used to mitigate the above problems at this busy junction. It would also offer an opportunity to create a small amenity area with planting in line with Lambeth’s Kerbside Strategy and Climate Action Plan.
A narrow strip of the National Grid site on the East side of Kings Avenue should be used to enable the pavement on the West side to be widened to 2.4m, plus 1.8m cycle lanes on either side of the carriageway. The width of the vehicle lanes could remain the same, with a new 2.4m pavement on the East side.
This could also enable an area on the Acre Lane frontage of the site to be used to help reduce pollution levels by planting trees and shrubs similar to the Brixton Orchard on Brixton Hill. It might also offer the opportunity for a community project and an alternative pedestrian route between Kings Avenue and Acre Lane.
Such a scheme could deliver the following benefits:
- align Kings Avenue with Bedford Road, reducing collisions and clipping of the raised kerbs on the corner of Clapham Park Road and Bedford Road;
- improve the turning of buses 137, 417 and 355 into and out of Kings Avenue;
- reduce tailbacks at the junction;
- improve cyclists’ safely whilst not encouraging increased vehicle use;
- improve pedestrian safety, especially for children, and encourage walking to school;
- improve air quality for local residents, pedestrians and other road users.
Appendix
Some Lambeth Policy references:
Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035, Section 11, page 269, Places and Neighbourhoods
Brixton paras:
11.44 “…large parts of Brixton including the majority of the town centre are identified in the London Plan as a Strategic Area for Regeneration. To ensure investment and growth delivers sustainable regeneration of the area, the key objectives in Brixton are:
- (pt 7) to reduce traffic domination, improve air quality and improve walking and cycling by reallocating road space, providing new cycle infrastructure, creating new pedestrian routes, and designing pedestrian friendly streets and spaces; and
- (pt 8) to ensure social and community infrastructure is provided to improve community well-being and cohesion;
11.56 “…Cycling potential is currently surpassed by the lack of high quality infrastructure and the hostile traffic environment. Opportunities exist to develop cycle routes, increase cycle parking…Working with the Mayor of London and TfL, the council will support measures that reduce traffic and mitigate its impact…”
11.57 “…the Brixton Liveable Neighbourhood project which seeks to improve conditions for walking and cycling in the town centre and surrounding neighbourhoods, primarily through measures to reduce and remove general traffic from local roads.”
Policy PN3: Brixton – actions F and G
11.58 “…The council will support measures that seek to improve air quality.”
Clapham paragraphs
11.82 “…The Northern Line between Clapham Common and Stockwell is one of the busiest sections of the underground network, leading to serious overcrowding.”
11.83 “…It is not possible to provide step-free access at the underground stations in Clapham which means priority should be given to alternative forms of transport bin the area, such as buses…”
11.84 “Clapham High Street suffers from a very poor safety record with a very high number of collisions, particularly affecting people who cycle. The council wishes to see safety improvements…”
Policy PN5: Clapham – actions E. supporting measures to improve air quality;
F. “requiring enhancements to the public realm of the town centre to increase green infrastructure and to improve the safety, accessibility and environment for pedestrians and cyclists…”
H. “Working with TfL to increase public transport provision, including bus services…”
Lambeth Transport Strategy
“Our vision for Transport in Lambeth is that:
Our transport network is inclusive and has a positive impact on quality of life and the environment, helping us deliver more homes and jobs and ensuring long term sustainability.
We priorities walking and cycling and a high-quality street environment and our transport network is safe and accessible to everyone. People want to live, work and invest here because we focus on people, not traffic, and create better places for all to enjoy.”
Inclusive and accessible – Pedestrians have genuine priority on our streets, with the whole street environment tailored to their needs.
“Active and Safe:
All of our neighbourhoods, schools and town centres are connected by ‘healthy routes’ in a low/no traffic environment.
“Priority Actions:
- We will make every opportunity count across all of the council’s investment in streets to ensure that all changes deliver access and safety improvements for walking and cycling.
Allocation of LIP (Local Implementation Plan) funding and investment secured. Targeted interventions to reduce road danger and improve walking environment. Incorporate road danger reduction focus into all programmes.
- We will enable walking and cycling to school particularly where car use is high to reduce motor traffic, tackle health issues and improve air quality.
- We will deliver Lambeth’s first Liveable Neighbourhood in Brixton and work with residents in other areas who wish to create low-traffic neighbourhoods.
Scheme implementation by summer 2023, measurable increase in walk and cycle trips. Low-traffic neighbourhoods prioritising areas with high density of school pupils.
Clean air and carbon neutral
Priority Actions
- We will improve air quality and create more attractive places by greening our streets. Delivery of green infrastructure, such as pocket parks, green screens and 1,000 street trees by 2022.”
