Tag Archives: Cycling

Half-a-dozen new public cycle sheds for Myatt’s Fields in prospect

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Six more roadside ‘bike hangers’ are set to appear in Myatt’s Fields later this year as Lambeth Borough Council consults our communities on their locations.

The hangers are semi-cylindrical lockable metal structures containing bike racks. An annual subscription costs £30 – down from £42 and available to apply for on the LockIt Safe website.

Councillors have successfully lobbied for a number of new public cycle storage hangers in recent years, including on local estates. New bike hangers have been installed on both the Paulet Road estate, the Myatts North estate and the Lothian estate, as well as on local streets.

Existing bike hanger off Patmos Rd

The Borough Council is consulting on these new locations:

  • Calais St – opposite no 8
  • Eyethorne Rd – opposite 1-10 Cancell Rd
  • Halsmere Rd – outside the student flats
  • Mostyn Rd – outside no 2
  • Patmos Rd – Rear of Foxley Square
  • Tindal St – outside Dalkieth House.

Residents can contribute to the consultation on the GoVocal survey. It’s hoped the hangers will be installed in the Summer.

Each structure takes up less space than a parked car and contains stands for six bikes. The authority’s Kerbside Strategy includes provisions for enabling people who have limited storage space to keep their cycles securely. Cycling is an important part of Lambeth’s Climate Action Plan which aims to make the borough cleaner and greener.

Said Myatt’s Fields Labour councillors Annie Gallop and Paul Gadsby: “It is excellent that Lambeth has listened to residents and brought forward proposals for six new public cycle storage hangers in Myatt’s Fields. We would strongly urge residents to give their views to these consultations.”

Minister backs local councillors’ call for better controls on e-vehicle “nuisance”.

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A Government minister has weighed in on Myatt’s Fields Labour councillors’ call for better powers to deal with the ‘blight’ of e-bikes and e-scooters left strewn across our pavements and open spaces.

Councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop wrote to Simon Lightfoot MP, Minister for Local Transport, urging the government to help Lambeth council deal with the problem, following representations from local people.

Now Mr Lightfoot has replied, thanking the councillors for their comments and assuring them that he was aware of the issue, in Lambeth and in the rest of London.

In their letter sent earlier this month, Cllrs Gallop and Cllr Gadsby urged tighter regulatory powers in the face of a growing problem from “dockless” e-bikes and scooters.

Residents in Myatt’s Fields have complained about public spaces in the ward being used to abandon the vehicles, creating an eyesore and blocking pavements – a particular nuisance for our neighbours with mobility issues.

In his reply, Mr Lightfoot said he agreed with the councillors’ view that so-called “micro-mobility” schemes can benefit many users and contribute to our environmental targets.

However. he said: “I am particularly conscious that while pavement obstructions caused by poorly parked e-bikes are an inconvenience to many, they present a serious safety risk to vulnerable pavement users such as those with mobility issues or visual impairments.”

He went on: “On e-scooters specifically, until any legislative changes are brought forward and come into effect, private e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements, and rental e-scooters can only be used in national rental e-scooter trial areas. Enforcement of illegal and/or
irresponsible e-scooter use is a matter for the police. Users can face fines
and fixed penalty notices, criminal prosecution, points on their driving licence, and have their e-scooter impounded.

“As you will appreciate, the new government is still in its early stages, and I
am still carefully considering the future of micromobility policy, including on
shared micromobility rental schemes and e-scooters”.

He said he was grateful to the councillors for getting in touch with him as he considers action – “Your distillation of the specific nature of the problem in London and your recommendations for suggested action will be of great help as I do this”, he said.

Separately, Lambeth has proposed a big expansion of bays for dockless bikes – some of them in Myatt’s Fields – but has emphasised that users should act responsibly and refrain from leaving the vehicles in inconvenient places.

Big expansion of dockless electric hire bikes and scooter bays in view as Lambeth launch a public consultation

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Plans are afoot for a big increase in the number of roadside spaces for rental e-bikes and scooters in the borough — including some in Myatt’s Fields. The council wants to hear from residents before approving the plan which, they say, would put hire vehicles within a three-minute walk for most residents.

If the program is approved, the number of locations would rise from around 200 to 350, with four of the new sites in our ward – in Foxley Rd, Welby St, Mostyn Rd and Patmos Rd. These and others can be viewed on this map.



Some local residents have recently complained about e-bikes and scooters left strewn across pavements and public open spaces. Local Labour councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop have written to the Government minister responsible asking for councils to be given more powers to deal with the ‘blight’.

Deputy council leader Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said: “Lambeth Council supports the further expansion of sustainable forms of travel such as rental dockless bikes and scooters, but we also recognise the accessibility issues that parking on pavements and in high demand locations can cause.

“It’s vital that when people are finished using rental scooters and bikes, they are stored safely in one of the new dockless bays rather than abandoned on the street for the next person to use.”

Many of the new sites chosen are proposed to be installed in some of Lambeth’s busiest areas and frequent destinations to ensure that e-scooter and e-bike users can properly park their rental vehicles when they finish their journey.

The council has launched a consultation on the proposals and is asking residents to respond by visiting this portal. The consultation finishes on Friday December 6.

You can read more about the proposal here.

Minister urged to act to end blight of abandoned electric hire vehicles in Myatt’s Fields

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Local Labour councillors have written to the Government asking for urgent action to curb the ‘mess’ of e-bikes which are increasingly left strewn across roads, pavements and other public spaces.

Councillors Annie Gallop and Paul Gadsby have contacted Simon Lightfoot MP, Parliamentary under-secretary in the Department of Transport, to tighten regulatory powers in the face of a growing problem from “dockless” e-bikes and scooters.

Local residents have complained about public spaces in the ward being used to abandon the vehicles, creating an eyesore and blocking pavements – a particular nuisance for our neighbours with mobility issues.

In the letter – which can be read in full here – the councillors point out that thousands of people in Lambeth rely on the hire bikes and remind the Minister of the “clean and green” pro-cycling policies of Lambeth Labour’s environmental agenda.

However, they write: “…too many of these dockless cycles are left scattered across pavements and streets, often on their sides, blocking walkways for pedestrians and leaving our street space in a messy and unsightly condition.

“In our experience the companies behind these schemes are often unresponsive and too slow to move these cycles, especially if they are damaged. And the parking areas where these cycles are usually stored can be particularly chaotic.”

The letter points out that London councillors lack the powers to crack down on abuse of the bikes and scooters, and that the previous government ignored the issue. The councillors write:

“We are asking that you look, with fresh eyes, into urgently granting strategic transport authorities the levers and authority to improve the use and operation of dockless bikes.”

Lambeth Council has already installed 240 designated parking bays in the borough, with another 100 planned. Even though the authority negotiated a “memorandum of understanding” with the hire companies – who rent the spaces – the council says enforcement is too difficult. Officers are working with Transport for London, London Councils, and other boroughs to create a consistent, citywide approach and legal agreement with e-bike operators.

However, long term regulatory changes are necessary to deal with the problem, they say.

Work begins on new “healthy route” on Loughborough Road

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Lambeth Council has started work on a series of major upgrades to sections of Loughborough Road as part of a new £1.4 million “Healthy Route” programme.

Improvements are being carried out on an area which stretches from Loughborough Road South, between Ridgway Road and the Fiveways junction, and leads directly into key roads into Myatt’s Fields, including Lilford Road, Akerman Road and Loughborough Road North. .

Lambeth Council says The Healthy Routes project aims to “create a safe, accessible and pleasant route for people who are walking, cycling and using the bus”. This is the first phase of improvements as part of the Loughborough Road route. It involves the creation of:

  • Improved, new cycle lanes
  • Raised bus stops
  • Traffic calming measures
  • New pedestrian crossings
  • New planted areas to reduce the risk of local flooding

This part of Loughborough Road is receiving the improvements following a consultation with local residents, and because the wider Loughborough Junction neighbourhood suffers from particularly poor local air quality; the surrounding streets are in the top 20 per cent for N02 and particulate matter pollution across London.

Talking about the investment, Cllr Rezina Choudhary, Deputy Leader of Lambeth Council, said:

“We want to bring fairness to our neighbourhoods, reducing high air pollution which impacts most of those with least, help people embrace the opportunity to be healthier by walking or cycling and ensure they can make the trips they need to by better supporting local bus services.

“Lambeth Council is a leading local authority when it comes doing it all it can to make its neighbourhoods fairer and fit for the future, with a big transformation programme underway. Projects such as this support that aim and contribute to our Net Zero by 2030 ambitions.”

Myatt’s Fields councillors are lobbying for further traffic-related funding to be directed at Loughborough Road North which is beset by high levels of congestion and problems caused by traffic. Recently, Lambeth Council announced a substantial funding package for the ward after a campaign by Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop to reduce speeding and make local streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as cut levels of pollution.

Works on the road, which began in June, are expected to continue until 30 November, with the P5 bus diverted until the end of August. Please see the below letter from Lambeth with details of these diversions.

New bike storage hanger for Silverburn House

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Lambeth Council has confirmed that another new cycle storage hanger will be installed in Myatt’s Fields at Silverburn House on the Lothian estate.

The installation is a direct response to lobbying from local councillors who made a formal request to the Council for the hanger following feedback from Silverburn House residents during recent roving surgeries on the estate. Many households were having to store their bikes in their flats owing to a lack of cycle storage in the area.

Spaces in the new hanger will cost just £3.50 a month. The Council will be consulting residents in Silverburn House about a possible location for the new hanger before it is installed.

The latest announcement follows the installation of a number of new hangers in Myatt’s Fields, including on Cromwell Road (see picture below), the Paulet Road estate, Knatchbull Road, Lilford Road and other estates in the neighbourhood.

Bike hanger in Myatt’s Fields

Local Councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop, said:

“We are really pleased that another cycle storage hanger is being installed in Myatt’s Fields – and would like to thank the Council for listening to resident feedback. Of course, we will be pushing for more hangers as clearly there is a big public demand for cheap, affordable cycle storage space.”

More information about the bike hanger programme, and details of how to nominate your street to be considered for more cycle storage, can be found here.

New funding for sustainable travel in Myatt’s Fields

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Myatt’s Fields is to get a share of a multi-million pound investment by Lambeth Borough Council aimed at boosting sustainable travel across our communities.

Called ‘The Big Shift’, it follows a campaign by councillors Annie Gallop and Paul Gadsby calling for action to address serious traffic-related issues, including rat-running and heavy congestion. The councillors welcomed the move and thanked the authority for taking notice of the many residents who supported their campaign.

Launching the new funding programme, Lambeth Council said:

“The climate crisis and the rising cost of living pose very real threats to the livelihoods of people who live and work in Lambeth today. If we are to meet those challenges head on and create a more equal borough for all of us, we all need to make changes in our lives – including in how we travel around Lambeth. That’s why we have launched The Big Shift – a £17.7 million investment which brings life to Lambeth Labour’s ambitious plan to cut air pollution, reduce road danger, support access and mobility, and help people choose public transport, walking, cycling, and scooting more often.

“Over the coming months we will announce new school streets, more protected cycle lanes, a huge increase in bike storage for residents, more electric vehicle charging points, community grants for local greening projects, investment into micromobility hubs, parklets and new walking routes, and seven new Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes. We are also supporting local businesses to make the transition to making deliveries by e-cargo bike, in partnership with Peddle My Wheels.”

Myatt’s Fields is one of the target areas that will receive part of the investment: this followed a campaign by Cllrs Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop which highlighted a variety of traffic problems in the community, including congestion on Loughborough Road, speeding around Myatt’s Fields Park and rat running along Patmos and Akerman Roads. Recently, councillors handed in a survey of more than 200 residents about these issues and organised a walkabout in the area for Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, to see first-hand some of the worst hotspots and meet local residents.  Lambeth Council’s research has identified parts of our ward as suffering from the worst traffic related problems in Lambeth. 

Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop said:

“It is really positive news to see that Lambeth has acknowledged the problems on our local roads: we are particularly grateful to Cllr Chowdhury for listening to residents who contributed to our recent surveys and for visiting Myatt’s Fields to meet residents who have to live with dangerous driving or heavy congestion on a daily basis.

“Lambeth Council has given us a pledge to work with local residents to find how best to use the new funding, with discussions beginning in the next financial year.”

More information about the “Big Shift” can be found here.

More new bike storage hangers set for Myatt’s Fields

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Cyclists in Myatt’s Fields are to benefit from two new Lambeth Council bike storage hangers — with one already installed.

The first store has appeared on Cromwell Road, following recent road works in the area.

The second will be installed on Knatchbull Road. Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, the cabinet member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, confirmed the improvements in answer to a question from Cllr Paul Gadsby at last month’s council meeting.

Cllr Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop also handed in two surveys concerning traffic problems in the ward.

The first of two new bike hangers, installed on Cromwell Road

Cllr Annie Gallop and Cllr Paul Gadsby said:

“It is really welcome news to see more bike storage hangers arriving in our area following the two storage spaces installed earlier this year on Paulet Road and the recent commitment from the Council to roll out more electrical charging points in Myatt’s Fields.

“There is a real demand for more sustainable transport options in our community, and we keep lobbying for more of improvements on behalf of residents.”

Residents can nominate streets that they think should have a bike hanger in Lambeth on this webpage.

New bike storage hangers set to be installed on Paulet Road

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Following campaigning by local councillors, Lambeth Council has confirmed they will be installing two new bike storage hangers on Paulet Road in the next few months for the use of residents in nearby street properties and the estate.

Spaces in the new hangers will cost just £3.50 a month and are part of programme to create 250 new cycle storage spaces across the borough in the next few months, adding to the hundreds already in use.

In recent years, new hangers have been installed on a number of roads across Myatt’s Fields, including on the Myatt’s South estate, Cranmere Road, Lilford Road and a number of streets surrounding Myatt’s Fields Park.

Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop said:

“This is great news for residents on Paulet Road who have been lobbying for many years, with councillors, for affordable cycle storage space. We do know that many other parts of the community want to see cycle hangers on their streets or estates, and we have made it a top priority to deliver more in the next few years across Myatt’s Fields.”

Lambeth Council will be contacting residents on Paulet Road soon with advice on how to apply for one of the new cycle storage spaces.

More information about the bike hanger programme, and details of how to nominate your street to be considered for more cycle storage, can be found here.