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.”
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.
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.
Pedestrians in the Holland Grove, on the edge of the Holland Town estate, are set to walk a little easier thanks to Lambeth Council’s newly-announced highways improvement plans.
The neighbourhood features in a list of projects, which are yet to be prioritised but are likely to go ahead in the near future.
Part of the pavement in Holland Grove shares in the plan, which also covers many areas across the borough. Papers released by the council reveals that the pavement on the west side of the road, from Chryssell Road to Vassall Road will be renewed (shown in green below). Flexible paving will be used to protect tree roots.
The council says it wants to start the work ‘at pace’ to avoid the worst of the Winter weather, although it admits some parts of the long list of sites may have to be delayed. All businesses and residents effected will be notified individually, by letter.
Local Labour councillors Annie Gallop and Paul Gadsby said:
“We are pleased that a particularly delipidated part of Holland Grove has made the cut for the borough’s roadway improvements: we have been lobbying for the past 12 months for these pavements to be refurbished following feedback from local residents. If residents do have other roads they feel need some attention, please get in touch with us!”
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.
Lambeth Council have confirmed that from June, new measures will come into force to protect children from speeding vehicles around Christ Church School in Myatt’s Fields.
Following lobbying from local councillors Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop, the Council confirmed last year that a “safer street” would come into operation near the school: under the updated details for the scheme, Cancell Road, between the junctions with Eythorne Road, Elliott Road, and Russel Grove in its entirety, will close temporarily to motor vehicles between 8.30-9.30am and 2.45-3.45pm, Monday to Friday during term time. These changes will take affect from 17 June 2024.
Residents and Blue Badge holders will still be able to access the road at all times by applying for an exemption. Emergency vehicles will also have access. Other motor vehicles will be restricted during these times.
If residents have any questions, or wish to enquire about exemptions, they can visit this webpage, email schoolstreets@lambeth.gov.uk or call: 020 7926 9000
Lambeth Council will be collecting feedback on the School Street for six months from 17 June 2024.
Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop, said:
“We are really pleased that the Council has listened to local residents and placed restrictions on motor vehicles from outside the area driving around Christ Church school at peak times for the school. This will really improve safety for local children. We will continue to press for further action to make our roads and streets safer for all residents across Myatt’s Fields.”
30 May 2024 Update: Please note this article has been amended to reflect the new implementation date which will now be on the 17 June (as opposed to the 3 June originally).
A range of restrictions has been imposed on the proposed controversial redevelopment of the Lilford Road Business Centre following lobbying by local residents and Myatt’s Fields’ Labour team.
The development is likely to bring new jobs to the area and create a fresh start for the dilapidated buildings at the business centre. There are also proposals to create new green landscaping around the site and install sustainable travel infrastructure for employees, like bike storage sheds.
But many residents were concerned that the original proposals would have allowed delivery vehicles to move to and from the site for more than 100 hours each week which could mean a huge increase in traffic in the heart of a residential area that Lambeth Council has acknowledged is a congestion and pollution hotspot.
The restrictions were imposed by the Council’s Planning Committee at its most recent meeting. Cllr Paul Gadsby told the committee:
“I want to focus my comments tonight on a real concern in the community about an increase in traffic from this application.
“The applicant is proposing a window of 16 hours every weekday when vehicles can move to and from the site: the Council’s transport assessment suggests that peak hour movements will increase by 60%, this will result in hundreds of extra vehicle movements to and from the site each month, perhaps thousands over the course of a year. And while the developer has ruled out pleasingly the use of takeaway deliver firms in response to the community’s concerns, it hasn’t ruled out grocery or other high intensity delivery outfits: this model being pushed by developers across London is causing chaos in other residential areas, like Lilford Road, where residents are subject to increased noise, congestion and pollution, especially from speeding motorbikes.
As a result of the campaign by the community and councillors, the committee approved the application but placed more than 30 conditions on the development to address the community’s concerns.
They included:
Tough monitoring procedures to ensure the applicant abides by the delivery hours approved by the committee.
A requirement for the developer to appoint a “community liaison officer” who would be on call to answer any concerns raised by local residents.
The conditions also confirmed that delivery hours would be limited to 7am to 11pm weekdays – down from the 24 hour delivery window originally proposed.
So called “dark kitchens” (takeway food outlets) would be barred from operating on the premises.
Responding to the outcome of the meeting, Cllr Gadsby said:
“Cllr Gallop and I want to thank local residents, MPs and community groups, including the Lilford Road Action Group and the Brixton Society, for the huge amount of effort they have put into improving these proposals.
“We did not get everything we wanted and would have liked to have seen further reductions in delivery times to and from the site, however, the plans have undergone a lot of change from the original proposals from the developers last year. This includes tougher traffic restrictions on the businesses using the site to rule out the very worst high delivery businesses which are unsuitable in a residential neighbourhood. We acknowledge that the developer has also listened to local residents, with a number of the changes made voluntarily by them following a lengthy period of discussion in the past six months.
“However, we will be watching the development as it progresses. The planning committee spent more than two hours debating the traffic points made by residents and councillors: it is now over to the developer and Lambeth’s Building Control Team to make sure the promises made at the committee are upheld, especially those relating to ensuring there no adverse effects on local roads and pollution from the site.”
Myatt’s Fields councillors have called on Lambeth Council to take a tougher line on delivery companies causing traffic congestion, pollution and noise along Cranmer Road near the Holland Town estate.
Myatt’s Fields councillors have been receiving complaints from residents on the Holland Town Estate and around Cranmer Road about delivery lorries and refrigerated trucks delivering to Gorillas who regularly block the road, causing congestion, heavy pollution, and noise at all hours of the day, and can be seen idling, despite Lambeth’s discouragement of this practise. Can the cabinet member outline what action can be taken in Lambeth to address the issues caused by delivery trucks outlined about, especially in relation to Cranmer Road?
In response, Lambeth said it would increase action in the area:
Our Parking, Highways Enforcement and Public Protection teams will work together to address the parking, obstruction, idling, and any licensing issues with regards to their operation and ensure all avenues are explored to resolve the issues that residents are experiencing. We will patrol this location and enforce where possible. Idling is nearly always unnecessary and it’s a source of pollution. Idling is now a fineable offence across the whole of the borough. Lambeth have a team of officers that will ask drivers to switch off their engines if they notice them idling across the borough. A penalty notice may be issued if this request is not complied with.
However, councillors have followed up this exchange by asking the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Travel and Clean Air to visit the area and to write to the company demanding they take action.
Lambeth Council is encouraging residents to suggest locations for the new electrical vehicle charging points that are set to be rolled out across the borough in the next few years.
Local Labour councillors are demanding new action on traffic in Myatt’s Fields, based on evidence gathered in two snapshot surveys.
The surveys – organised by Cllrs Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop – revealed strong support for action to deal with speeding vehicles and dangerous driving around Myatt’s Fields Park and Akerman Road. The results of the petitions, based on two questionnaires, were handed into Lambeth council by Cllr Gadsby on behalf of the Labour team. Lambeth Council are now formally required to respond to the surveys.
The councillors said:
“Thank you to all residents who took the time to fill in the surveys. They clearly demonstrate real concerns about speeding vehicles and dangerous driving in these closely connected neighbourhoods.
“As councillors, we have also received similar speeding concerns on Patmos Road which connects into Akerman Road, and a local Residents Association on Loughborough Road has been highlighting for many years problems with congestion there.
“ We are asking Lambeth Council to take a look at all these issues together and put in place a comprehensive plan that makes local roads safer.“
The headlines from the surveys, which were prompted by local concerns, are:
83 responses were received to the Myatt’s Fields Park survey, with 160 residents saying there was a problem with speeding cars in the area. In this survey, the top asks from residents were:
128 – Better enforcement of the 20mph speed limit
113 – Introduction of speed bumps
82 – Better facilities for cyclists
32 – Improvement/resurfacing of local roads
55 responses were received for a survey about speeding on Akerman Road, with 52 respondents stating there was a problem with speeding on the road.
A variety of suggestions were made about how to tackle the problem, including better enforcement of the 20mph speed limit, including the introduction of speed cameras, and speed humps being put into the area.
Cllr Paul Gadsby at July’s Lambeth Council meeting
Myatt's Fields Labour 