Streatham Action your say on local issues that matter to you
Transport Group
Streatham Action - Press Release - 9th November 2023
Download the Word Doc
press release below
In the week when Lambeth Council’s Cabinet adopts a new “Road danger reduction strategy”, Streatham Action urges the Cabinet to focus its attentions on tackling the many safety issues already encountered during the first few weeks of the Streatham Wells trial LTN – and as highlighted during last Thursday’s Streatham Action Transport group online meeting with 190 people present – before considering the planning and implementation of any further LTNs.
A statement from Streatham Action on its stance with regard to the trial Streatham Wells LTN
STATEMENT 22/10/2023
As the Streatham Wells trial LTN goes live Streatham Action and its transport group’s stance with regard to launching any Streatham Wells trial LTN is that evidence of success achieved on the Streatham Hill LTN should have been shared with us before even a trial Streatham Wells LTN was considered for implementation.
By definition, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods should not be creating high-traffic neighbourhoods elsewhere.
(Click image for more information)
Background to Streatham Action’s Transport group
Streatham Action created a Transport sub-group at its November 2014 AGM.
This came about on the back of the following two sizeable transport infrastructure proposals that would have involved south London as part of their proposals:
• On the back of a public meeting that the Green Party had convened in the summer of 2014, specifically to discuss a first Crossrail 2 consultation phase, it was decided that all further meetings relating to transport infrastructure improvements relating to Streatham would best be co-ordinated by Streatham Action. Such a way forward would thereby nurture a cross-party and non-party political approach to such discussions, so as to allow for the very most effective approaches then to be made to the relevant authorities for such improvements.
• TfL went to consultation on a proposed Bakerloo Line extension to the south east at the end of September 2014.
Streatham Action Transport Group (SAT Group)
The group initially comprised 7 members of the Streatham Action committee and 4 other members who had attended the SA AGM and had expressed a keen interest to be involved in this transport group.
Over the subsequent 7 years to date, membership has continued to be drawn from a combination of both Streatham Action committee members and other interested individuals who are keen to see transport infrastructure improvements for Streatham.
Neil Salt has chaired this transport sub-group since its inception, alongside the hugely valuable assistance of Pete Johnson – a professional transport specialist – as Vice Chair since February 2019. Over the course of that time, membership has thrived and with numbers attending the bi-monthly meetings often extending to 12-15 members, alongside other interested individuals relating to the specific aspects under discussion from meeting to meeting.
Bigger picture transport infrastructure improvements for Streatham
The group has been motivated in particular by responding to consultations in a pro-active way and thereby promoting the need for Streatham transport infrastructure improvements:
• Crossrail 2 has been a great example of this, where SAT Group lobbied its management at the point when the project was out for consultation relating to its route to the south of Victoria. At this point, it was open to debate as to whether the route map should travel through Tooting Broadway, or alternatively Balham, on its way to Wimbledon. (See map below)
• SAT Group’s proactivity became even more ambitious when it sought to promote the idea of a Crossrail 2 spur line coming off the main route from Victoria, via Clapham Junction, Streatham and Croydon, on the way to Gatwick.
• In a similar way to proposals made on Crossrail 2 above, during the very first consultation response, with regard to TfL consulting upon the Bakerloo Line extension, SAT Group gave its support to a dog-leg route option via Camberwell and Peckham Rye. The thinking behind this was that this would then bode well for Streatham subsequently to make a strong case of its own for a “Herne Hill and Streatham loop” extension to the Victoria Line. This had first been mooted 8 years previously.
Turning South London Orange (TSLO)
When it became clear that the Crossrail 2 project would not see the light of day, at least for the time being, SAT Group focussed its attentions more closely upon possible smaller wins for transport infrastructure improvements. Such an opportunity came about as part of the proposal put forward for “Turning South London Orange” (TSLO) by the Centre for London think tank. The suggestions that were discussed at that time were to seek a high frequency overground train service (6 tph+) for our part of South London that had already been implemented across other orange lines across London by TfL. Such a strategy would then have been assisted further by a Streatham Interchange being created, in order to improve connectivity between the three Streatham stations.
SAT Group has not lost sight of the huge improvements that such a Streatham Interchange would bring about for leading to such an increase in train numbers and will refocus its attentions on this as an area for pro-activity in the months ahead.
Smaller wins achieved for Streatham
• SAT Group has also held discussions with Network Rail in order to try to bring forward the date when Streatham station’s long-awaited accessibility project – ie for one or more lifts to be installed at the station – would be progressed as a direct result of lobbying by both SAT Group and the Green Party in particular. It has recently been confirmed that work on constructing two lifts at Streatham station will now be taking place in to 2022.
• SAT Group has for long worked alongside the impressively determined Safer A23 Group to lobby TfL to prioritise a c.£9.2m reconfiguration of the A23 between Streatham Hill station and the South Circular. Subject only to sufficient monies being agreed upon in TfL’s upcoming negotiation round with the government in December this year, this reconfiguration work will then likely receive the final go ahead in to the autumn of next year and beyond.
Streatham Passenger Benefit Fund
SAT Group played a leading role in bringing together all interested parties in Streatham who are regular users of the trains at any one or more of our three train stations to check as to key improvements to the stations that they would like to see effected, with monies assigned by GTR specifically to make improvements at our three Streatham stations for the benefit of passengers. £90k was assigned to Streatham Station and £30k to each of Streatham Common and Streatham Hill stations. All of the works have recently been completed and have included aspects such as improved lighting, repainting and renovating of waiting rooms, the provision of additional seating on platforms and improvements to the appearance of the overbridges at each of Streatham and Streatham Common stations.
SAT Group continues to be at its most effective by not only working on a cross-party and non-party basis, but also by being seen to be the “go-to” civic transport group for Streatham. As a consequence of this, the group benefits from regular attendance at our meetings by TfL and LBL representatives and also, from time-to-time, GTR and Network Rail.
Over the past 7 years to date SAT Group has arranged many public meetings covering aspects surrounding:
• Crossrail 2 and our proactivity on promoting Streatham to become a CR2 station on the route map;
• A public meeting with senior GTR representatives at the height of the disruption to train services following on from a major timetable change in the summer of 2016. This was to lead to Streatham station being granted the highest level of Passenger Benefit Fund monies available to London stations.
Public meetings have been very well attended, not only as a result of the areas of focus chosen by SAT Group for transport improvements being seen to be important to many local people, but also on the back of the quality of the panels secured for those meetings.
SAT Group’s future
Streatham Passenger Group was established on the back of SAT Group having received a very large number of responses to its request for local residents’ to provide their wish lists for improvements to be made at our 3 train stations utilising Passenger Benefit Fund monies. A small group of representatives – 3 for each of the 3 stations - has been established as the Streatham Passenger Group.
With more of us now working from our offices once again – for at least part of each week – and with numbers consequently noticeably growing on the transport network, this Streatham Passenger Group will soon start to meet on a quarterly basis with the GTR Station Manager responsible for the 3 Streatham stations and beyond. Our Vice Chair, Pete Johnson, will oversee this group’s development.
Please get involved with us
If you have a passion for seeing further improvements being made to Streatham’s transport infrastructure then please contact Neil Salt for further information on how to join our SAT Group and have influence over our areas of focus for lobbying the relevant authorities in the future. Please contact Neil at: vicechair@streathamaction.org.uk
Update on TfL schemes for Streatham Hill and Streatham High Road
Streatham Hill - removal of the central reservation for new segregated cycle lane and changes to bus lanes.
Following the long delayed agreement of a new funding agreement between Transport for London and the Government. TfL announced in early October that a number of capital projects will now be moving ahead. including taking forward the detailed designs for the scheme for the section of the A23 between Streatham Hill station and just north of the South Circular.
Our transport working group heard more details from TfL officials on 18th October.
If everything goes to schedule, the timetable for work is likely to be:-
Dec 2022 - Jul 2023: detailed design stage:
Jul 2023: public engagement on construction plan
Sep 2023: traffic order approvals -
Dec 2023: Jun 2024: on-site construction on SHR
Members of the working group once again raised concerns about the impact of some of the suggested full or partial closures to vehicle traffic of junctions with side roads on the northbound lane.
Streatham High Road - pedestrian crossing to move from Kingscourt Rd to Gracefield Gardens
Back in the winter, TfL ran a consultation on improving safety by moving the pedestrian crossing over the High Road outside Kwik-Fit further south to be closer to the main "desire line" of where people cross. This would mean closing the junction between the High Road and Gracefield Gardens to vehicles.Shortly after our October transport meeting, TfL announced the results of their consultation. There were 390 responses. Despite a majority of responses raising concerns (a mixture of issues about displaced traffic and the impact on the health centre) TfL have said that they intend to proceed with the scheme.
"Work would start on concept designs in the summer of 2023, with on-site construction work taking place between February and May 2024, subject to available funding."
The full consultation report is now on the TfL website
The separate scheme for speed restrictions on the stretch of Streatham High Road between Streatham Station and Streatham Common North, including a new pedestrian crossing between the Tesco Extra and Hopton Road is likely to proceed on the same timescale. (The formal consultation report was issued in the spring but work had been halted due to TfL's budget position.)
MEETINGS
As you will see from the agenda, the meeting will take place at Streatham Youth & Community Trust (SYCT) on Wellfield Road. Confirmed details are as follows:
Date: Thursday 11th May
Time: 18:15 - 20:45 hrs
Location: first floor classroom, SYCT, 16 Wellfield Road, SW16 2BP
The main business of the meeting will be to discuss not only the state of Streatham’s current rail infrastructure with our panellists, but also to discuss as to how we should most effectively lobby for improved rail transport services. This part of the meeting will take place between 18:30 and 19:45 hrs with the following panellists :
· Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Streatham’s MP
· Jonny Nesbitt - Network Rail representative for the South London area
· Stephen Norris - GTR regional manager for the South London area
· Katerina Makolova - GTR station manager for the 3 Streatham stations.
· Representative from Lambeth Council, tbc
Please come to the meeting with your particular questions and/or comments. Let us hope for a productive discussion, so as to reach a point of consensus as to how best for Streatham’s MP, Lambeth Council and Streatham Action to lobby in a concerted way for seeking improvements with regard to Streatham’s rail transport infrastructure.
We shall also have time, during the final hour of the meeting, to discuss in more detail where things currently stand with regard to the Streatham Wells LTN design stage consultation report and likely next steps.
We shall also discuss Lambeth’s intention, over time, to create one community parklet in each of the 25 wards across the borough. There is a consultation currently open until Sunday 28th May at 5pm for local residents proactively to submit recommendations as to where in their ward they would like to see a community parklet created. It would be good to discuss as to where we perceive the most appropriate roads in each of the 5 central Streatham wards for such parklets to be created. Whilst we all know that most of our roads have huge demand for car, van and motorbike parking, are there any roads that we can think of where parking is currently less intense, so that we can then proactively make recommendations with the least possible inconvenience to those who own vehicles in their roads?
I hope that as many of us as possible will be able to attend this important meeting. See you then.
Kind regards,
Neil
Next SAT group meeting to take place on Tuesday 10th January 2023 - Online Meeting
Although Lambeth Council’s transport team turned down the opportunity to attend our Streatham Action public meeting on 7th December, I am pleased to say nonetheless that Luuk van Kessel, the LBL Transport Planner with responsibility for the Streatham Wells LTN, has agreed to attend our next Streatham Action Transport group meeting, which will now take place online on Tuesday 10th January.
I am also pleased to say that any points that may be raised during, or immediately after, that online SAT group meeting will also be incorporated within the design stage consultation responses. Please make a note in your diaries for this on-line meeting which will probably run between 7 and 9pm.
Neil Salt - Chair Transport Group
This meeting will be online. If you need a link contact vicechair@streathamaction.org.uk
Date: Tuesday 14th June
Time: 18.00 - 20.00hrs
Venue: Meeting Room 2, Streatham Tate Library, 63, Streatham High Road, SW16 1PN
Dear All,
It has been nearly three months since we had a Streatham Action Transport group meeting - the last one was held on 15th March. As you know, we were restricted in receiving any information from either Lambeth Council or TfL during the period from very soon after that meeting through to the date of the local elections on 5th May.
Whilst TfL will not be able to provide us with an update on the A23 reconfiguration scheme until after 24th June, at which point the Government and TfL will hopefully reach a settlement for the next 3 years to include capital funding, we shall only have new information from them to talk through with us at some point in July. I have suggested Tuesday 19th July for that meeting, to which date they have provisionally agreed. On the basis that various members of TfL continue to work remotely on some days, the request from them is to attend our July meeting remotely. I shall,therefore, arrange for that meeting to be held on Zoom for all of us.
In the meantime, I am keen that we should have a meeting in June to discuss the latest update from Southern Rail to include both further information on the accessibility works at Streatham station and also the implications of the timetable changes as from the end of last month.
Our next meeting will, therefore, take place in person next Tuesday, 14th June. In order to accommodate the closing time of Streatham Library, I have brought forward the timings for that particular meeting to 6-8pm, rather than 7-9pm as would normally be the case.
Details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday 14th June
Time: 18.00 - 20.00hrs
Venue: Meeting Room 2, Streatham Tate Library, 63, Streatham High Road, SW16 1PN
I am pleased to say that Steve Fleming's replacement as the station manager for our 3 Streatham stations, Katerina Makolova, will be attending this meeting to update us on various aspects and to answer our questions. Fyi, Steve moved on within Southern Rail a few weeks ago to a new role as one of the station managers at Victoria. On behalf of all of us at SAT group, I have sent him a congratulatory email.
Please find attached a copy of the draft minutes from our prior 15th March meeting. I shall email a copy of the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting to all of us at the end of this week.
I hope that as many of us as possible will be able to attend what will be our first in-person SAT group meeting for nearly 2.5 years! It will be good to get back to in-person meetings again. Hopefully see you both at next Tuesday’s meeting and at our subsequent meeting, to be held via Zoom, on Tuesday 19th July.
Kind regards,
Neil
Neil Salt
Chair, Streatham Action Transport Group
Meeting - 7th December 2021
I write to confirm that our next Streatham Action Transport Group meeting will take place on Zoom this coming Tuesday, 7th December, between 7 and 9pm.
1. As you may recall from our prior meeting held on 16th November, we were unable to receive a presentation at that meeting from TfL in relation to seeing concept design plans for the reconfigured A23 scheme between Streatham Hill station and the South Circular. I am pleased to say that Kieran Hutley of TfL will be able to talk us through these concept designs on our Zoom call on Tuesday evening.
2. We shall also receive an update from Claire Alleguen of TfL on a proposed repositioning of a pedestrian crossing further down Streatham High Road.
3. You may also recall that I had requested just prior to our November meeting that TfL provide us with some traffic level monitoring data on two comparative dates in September 2019 and September 2021. Jenny Melbourne of TfL, who attended our 28th September meeting and who is TfL’s Network Performance and Planning Manager, should hopefully be in attendance at our meeting on Tuesday to talk us through what that data may have shown up.
TfL have requested to attend the first 45 minutes to one hour of our meeting, so they will join us at 7:05pm and with a hard stop on TfL issues by 7.50pm.
4. With regard to the latest updates on the Streatham Hill LTN consultation process and Streatham Wells LTN engagement process, Cllr Dr Mahamed Hashi, Lambeth Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport, Environment and Clean Air will hopefully be able to be with us between 7.50 and 8.20pm.
On Monday evening, I shall send you a further email with the Zoom link for the meeting, alongside the agenda.
It would be good to have a large attendance once again on Tuesday evening as we receive this long-awaited news on the latest plans for the A23 reconfiguration work.
Kind regards,
Neil
Neil Salt
Chair, Streatham Action Transport Group
IF YOU NEED A ZOOM LINK, CONTACT NEIL at vicechair@streathamaction.org.uk or chair@streathamaction.org.uk
Thanks to the very many who attended our last Streatham Action Transport group meeting on Tuesday 16 November.
On account of the fact that TfL representatives were unable to attend that meeting - sign-off by then not yet having been secured for concept design stages on the A23 reconfiguration scheme - we had tentatively scheduled for a follow-up meeting to take place before Christmas on this Wednesday, 1 December.
On the basis that TfL’s Kieran Hutley will unfortunately not now be available on Wednesday evening - he is the best person to talk us through the concept design - and that the additional data that we have requested from TfL will not now also be available until later this week, it makes best sense all round for us to reschedule the meeting:
Our next SAT group meeting will now take place as follows:
Tuesday 7 December on Zoom between 7 and 9pm.
I apologise for any inconvenience that this change of date may cause.
I shall email a copy of the agenda and the draft minutes of the prior 2 meetings to all of us over the next 7 days.
Kind regards,
Neil Salt
Chair, Streatham Action Transport Group
IF YOU NEED A ZOOM LINK, CONTACT NEIL at vicechair@streathamaction.org.uk or chair@streathamaction.org.uk
Agenda Minutes of last meeting
Dear All,
Further to my email of earlier in the week, following on from Lambeth Council’s release of its 118-page summary engagement report on the Streatham Wells LTN design stage consultation, I mentioned that I would put in a request to Lambeth Council’s transport planner for this LTN, Luuk van Kessel, to request that he attend an online Streatham Action Transport group meeting at some point soon.
I am pleased to say that Luuk has responded and we have agreed an upcoming meeting date, with details as follows:
Date: Tuesday 6th June
Time : 18:45 - 20:45hrs (with Luuk attending between 19:00 and 20:15hrs)
Venue: via Zoom
Luuk will present a brief slide deck at the start of the meeting, which will be drawn from key information that was included within the recent summary engagement report.
In case you may not yet have had the chance to read the summary engagement report, a link to it, and a summary of the key points raised within it, is accessible on the Streatham Action website:
https://www.streathamaction.org.uk/streatham-wells-ltn
Agenda, Minutes of last meeting and Network Rail Presentation:
“If you have not yet received the Zoom log-in details for this upcoming meeting and would like to join the meeting, then please send me an email to that effect to vicechair@streathamaction.org.uk, confirming the road where you live, and we shall then email the Zoom details to you. This will all be done on the strict understanding that the Zoom details will not then be shared with anyone further.”
Kind regards,
Neil
Neil Salt
Chair, Streatham Action Transport Group