More Heathrow flight paths planned over Streatham - consultation deadline 4 March

Streatham: 47 flights per hour at less than 4,000ft

Aircraft noise over Streatham is set to increase significantly under plans for Heathrow Airport expansion. 

Currently less than 1 in 20 of Heathrow's aircraft movements affects Streatham - but this is set to increase to 1 in 12, with nearly 50 flights an hour flying over us at 3,000-4,000ft.

Here are suggested responses to the online Heathrow Consultation, which is very complicated with lots of supporting documentation. Hopefully, this will make it easier for Streatham's views to be heard.

New data on train delays shows true nightmare of travelling from Streatham stations

The high level of train cancellations and delays at all three Streatham stations is revealed in its full horror in latest statistics supplied in response to a Freedom of Information request we have made on behalf of Streatham Action Transport.

Give your experience of travelling by train from Streatham in this survey.

The rail indsutry target is that less than 10% of trains should be more than 5 mins late and 2% cancelled or severely late. Instead Streatham stations suffered up to 40% of trains delayed and up to 35% cancelled following the introduction of new (reduced service) timetables on 27th May 2018.


According to data supplied by Network Rail, the levels of service at all three Streatham stations were clearly terrible between 22 June 2017 and 25 July 2018:

TfL shares two ideas for changes to the A23 in Streatham Hill

TfL shared their latest thinking on plans to change the road layout of the A23 in Streatham Hill at a meeting with local residents last week.

A formal consultation on plans will take place in Autumn/Winter 2018/19;  so this was an attempt to take some inital soundings from the community on two different approaches they are considering.

Option 1: wider bus lanes and footways

Option 2: segregated cycle lanes

Have your say on key walking and cycling routes

Lambeth Council wants to create more safe routes for walking and cycling - to help people stay healthy, and cut down on air-polluting use of cars for local journeys.

So now is the time to have your say on which routes would be most convenient for you - and which you think could be made safer to encourage travelling on foot and by bike.

From a cyclists' point of view, four key

Collisions increase on A23 in Streatham

Collisions on the A23 through Streatham have increased, according to latest statistics from Transport for London.

In the period November 2013 to October 2016 there were 403 collisions, including 5 fatalities and 31 serious injuries on the A23 between the South Circular in the north and the junction of Streatham High Road and Hermitage Lane in the south. This is an increase of 13% on the previous period (May 2012 - April 2015). Fatalities rose from 4 to 5, and serious injuries rose from 24 to 31.

Plans for new bus lane on Streatham High Road

Proposals for a new bus lane northbound on Streatham High Road have been published. Transport for London (TfL) is seeking local views by Tuesday, 14th March.

The proposal is a bus lane operating Mon-Sat 7am-7pm, starting north of Becmead Avenue and ending near Drewstead Road. The lane would be open to buses, coaches, motorcycles and scooters, as well as cycles and taxis.

The pavement at 148 Streatham High Road (outside New Look, Poundland and Nationwide) would be narrowed by one metre to make way for a loading and disabled parking bay.

Greens accuse TfL of favouring out-of-town commuters over Londoners

Greens campaign for Crossrail 2 at Streatham

Transport for London’s ruling out of Streatham as a stop on a proposed Crossrail 2 is based on flawed data and analysis – and favours the needs of out-of-town commuters over congested & disadvantaged Londoners, says the Green Party

In answer to a question to the London Mayor by Green London Assembly Member Caroline Russell, Transport for London rules out a Crossrail 2 route via Streatham on the grounds that it would add 4.5 minutes to the route into central London by travellers coming from the southwestern outer suburbs: Kingston, Hampton, Chessington, Epsom. 

It appears to be giving more weight to the needs of these commuters than the rapidly rising numbers of commuters from Streatham, who currently suffer much longer journey times than areas better served by public transport.

The TfL report claims Streatham is currently “well-served by rail”, a statement dismissed by Streatham Greens as a fantasy.

Residents let down by school travel plan - and planning process

As anyone living close to a school knows, the morning and afternoon drop-offs and pick-ups can be a nightmare for both local residents and parents.

Increased pollution, parking congestion, and risk of collisions are hazards endured twice a day throughout term time. Too often, conflicts arise, tempers flare and the relationship between the school and its neighbours is left broken. Perhaps most seriously, children can be put at risk.

This is one of the reasons schools have travel plans. With air pollution and road collisions high among the causes of death and ill-health throughout London, good travel plans also aim to promote walking and cycling as healthy ways of getting to school - for both staff and pupils.

Streatham's Transport - have your say

There is a chance to questions decision-makers on Streatham's transport this Thursday 24th November.

Streatham's Transport Question Time will bring officers and elected officials from Southern Rail, Network Rail, Transport for  London, Lambeth Council, the London Assembly and Streatham MP Chuka Umunna to answer questions from the public.

You can submit your question in advance here. or do so on the day.

Doors open from 6.45pm and the meeting starts at 7.30pm. The venue is Immanuel and St Andrew's Church Hall, 452 Streatham High Road (opposite Streatham Common).

Quietways road closure trial to go ahead

Artists impression of traffic filter at Streatham Common station

The trial closure of Estreham Road to northbound traffic is to go ahead, following results of the public consultation carried out by Lambeth Council.

Estreham Road is part of the proposed Quietway 5, providing a safer cycle route between Waterloo and Croydon. In Lambeth its route would run north from Ellison Rd along Estreham Road, under the rail bridge on Potters Lane and then onto Conyer’s Road towards Waterloo.

Currently, Estreham Road is used by over 3000 vehicles  on an average working day and is seen by some as a rat-run to avoid Streatham High Road.


During the consultation earlier this year, local residents raised concerns about access to people's homes, congestion on surrunding roads and the design and siting of the traffic filter, which will allow two-way access to cyclists. Around 56 per cent of the 139 people who responded supported or partially supported the trial closure.


In an email to residents on 31 August, Lambeth writes:

"The scheme is intended to be introduced as a six-month trial in order to assess the impact of the changes. Lambeth Council will conduct pre and post implementation monitoring during this period.

The six-month trial period will form a further public consultation period in relation to the proposals, and any representations received during this period in support or opposition to the scheme will feed into the assessment process.

At the end of the six-month trial period, the council will take a decision as to whether to make the scheme permanent (by introducing a permanent traffic order), or to remove the one-way closure. 

Construction of the scheme is planned to begin in September/October 2016. Lambeth Council will write to local residents and businesses with details of the planned works."

For a summary of the consultation and Lambeth Council’s response, click here.

Green MP's solo challenge over Southern Rail franchise

In case you missed it, this was Green MP Caroline Lucas's lonely stance in support of long-suffering Southern Rail commuters when she called on ministers to strip franchises from the failing rail company.

On 13 September she was the sole speaker from the opposition benches in the house of Commons. 

People using Streatham, Streatham Common and Streatham Hill stations, are among thousands who are suffering deteriorating services, delays and cancellations while the rail company reports profits of nearly £100m.

Transport minister Paul Maynard criticised the recent industrial action, saying Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) - the company Southern Rail works under - was forced to cut services.

But Green MP Caroline Lucas hit back saying many of the guards she had spoken to were striking “very reluctantly” and were only doing so because they “genuinely believed there are safety concerns with driver-only operation”.

Later Lucas joked in a post on Twitter: "If only it was this easy to get a seat on @southernrail"

The Huffington Post picked up Lucas' lonely efforts. You can read its report here.

PUBLIC MEETING - HOW TO BRING CROSSRAIL 2 TO STREATHAM: 7PM, 29 JUNE, AT HIDEAWAY

Streatham Action brings together a panel of experts and influencers on Wednesday to share what they believe are next steps needed to bring Crossrail 2 to Streatham.

All are welcome to attend and ask questions at the public meeting at The Hideaway, 7pm June 29th. The panel, which will be chaired by journalist and transport expert Christian Wolmar, comprises:

• Sian Berry, Green Party London Assembly member, former mayoral candidate and transport campaigner
• Caroline Pidgeon, Lib-Dem London Assembly member and Chair of Transport Committee;
• Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite, Labour Lambeth Cabinet Member for Transport;
• The Community Engagement Team representative for Gatwick Airport, representing "Only Gatwick Can";
• David Joyce, Director of Planning, Development and Transport, Lambeth Council;
• Neil Salt, Chair, Streatham Action Transport.

This is a good opportunity to highlight the desperate transport infrastructure needs for Streatham. There will be a chance to explore how a CR2 station at Streatham could help reduce traffic and pollution on the dangerous A23, and alleviate overcrowding on the Northern line and Victoria Line.

We'll also hear how Crossrail 2 can facilitate transport links to Gatwick via what will then be a new transport hub for south London at Streatham.

The bulk of the meeting will be taken up by answering questions from the floor and receiving responses from the panel members to comments received in advance from local residents on the Streatham Action website.


The Hideaway is at 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, London, SW16 2BF.

A death or serious injury every six weeks on A23 in Streatham

Latest A23 collision, 9.15pm on Sept 3rd 2015

One person was killed or seriously injured in a collision on the A23 through Streatham every six weeks in the last five years.

A Green Party Freedom of Information Request to TfL has revealed that six people were killed and 35 received life-changing injuries between 2010 and 2014.

Twenty of these collisions involved pedestrians and five involved cyclists. Three of the people killed were pedestrians, two were car-drivers and one was a motorcyclist. All the crashes happened on the A23 between the South Circular and Streatham Common.

There have been at least two more fatal collisions on the road so far in 2015. And last night, emergency services were in action again as a taxi crashed into Xalwo shopfront next to Sports Direct.

"Streatham High Road and Streatham Hill feel like they are becoming the most deadly stretch of road in London," said Green Party councillor Scott Ainslie, who is campaigning to end the exceptionally high death and injury rate in Streatham.

"These latest figures show how urgent it is that TfL and Lambeth Council do everything in their power to make the A23 a safer road for local people. It is time to give our local high street back to the community."

The Green Party is helping to co-ordinate a cross-party "Safer A23 in Streatham" campaign. Local shops and businesses are being asked to display posters supporting the campaign and calling on TfL to include its Red Routes in Lambeth's proposed borough-wide 20mph speed limit.

TfL figures published in 2014 revealed that nearly half of traffic north of Streatham Hill station was breaking the speed limit.

"In places the A23 feels like a six-lane motorway," said Cllr Ainslie, "and this has a knock-on effect as cars speed up, thinking they are entering a fast, arterial road - rather than the busy community high street that Streatham High Road is for local people."

The campaign is calling for reclassification of the road as a high street, along with other measures such as traffic calming, segregated cycle lanes, removal of the central reservation and re-landscaping north of Streatham Hill station, and longer crossing times at pedestrian crossings.

In June it was revealed that plans to remove the central reservation from the remaining stretch of the the A23 between Streatham Hill station and the South Circular have been delayed by TfL until 2019.

Cllr Ainslie said: "Consultation for this should have commenced already and the delay is unacceptable. Children going to school and nursery, and older and disabled people are a large part of the community using the High Road - and until something is done to prioritise people's safety, we are all taking our lives in our hands every time we try to cross the road.

"We in the Green Party will do everything we can to create a safer, greener, cleaner Streatham High Road."

For more see:
July 2015 20mph speed limit gets go ahead
June 2015 five-year wait for next phase of Streatham road improvements
April 2015 serious collision Streatham High Road
December 2014 fatality near Streatham Hill
May 2014 Fatality at St Leonard's Junction
May 2014 Fatality st Streatham Hill
Feb 2014: Speeding on Streatham High Road
Feb 2014 Response from TfL about St Leonard's Junction
Dec 2013 Increased crossing times for Streatham High Road
April 2013 Another collision at St Leonard's junction
April 2013 Bus 'beached' at St Leonard's Junction
March 2013 - No dedicated cycle lanes or 20mph for High Road
Feb 2013 - We need more from Mayor on dangerous junctions
Feb 2013 - What could be done about the St Leonard's junction?
Jan 2013 - Safety review brought forward for St Leonard's junction
Dec 2012 - Another collision at St Leonard's junction
Nov 2012 - New signal strategy for St Leonard's junction
Nov 2012 - Review of St Leonard's junction announced
June 2012 - Crunching the collisions on Streatham High Road
June 2012 - What Streatham High Road could be like
May 2012 - Three collisions in Streatham
May 2012 - What could be done about Streatham High Road

Email to Streatham Labour Party members about tonight's transport meeting

It does seem that the Labour Party are viewing tonight's transport meeting at Streatham library as part of their political programme.

See this which has been circulated to local Labour Party members:

It was confirmed last night that representatives from other political parties have not been invited to sit on the panel for the meeting.  This is despite the clear wishes of local people expressed at the public meeting last year, that improvements to transport in Streatham should be taken forward on a cross-party basis.

Respond to the Bakerloo Line consultation to keep Streatham's transport links on the agenda

Following a successful local campaign, Streatham has been cited by Transport for London as the area with the greatest demand for improved transport links in the Crossrail 2 consultation report.

This is great news and comes after the Green Party brought together experts at a public meeting to address Streatham’s poor transport.

It has become clear that both the Crossrail 2 project and Bakerloo Line extension won't be coming to Streatham. Sadly many local politicians, including Chuka Umunna, didn't even respond to the Crossrail 2 Consultation, and haven't been pro-active in pushing transport links up the agenda (see here for details).

There is an opportunity now however, to keep Streatham's much-needed transport links on the agenda, by responding to the Bakerloo Line Consultation and making it clear that Streatham needs improvements.

The amazing response to the latest Crossrail 2 consultation got TfL to sit up and take notice. We need to keep up the pressure for better transport links otherwise we will continue to be overlooked. Responding now to the Bakerloo line consultation means we can make the case for extending the Victoria line and improving existing links by getting better, low emission bus links between our rail stations.