New plans for lethal St Leonard's Junction

Cllr Scott Ainslie and the Green team scrutinise plans

Transport for London is developing new plans for St Leonard's Junction - where two people have been killed and five seriously injured in just over two years.

The Streatham Green Team and other members of the Safer A23 Campaign have been working with TfL to propose changes to the road design aimed at reducing danger at the junction. For decades the junction has been a hazard for local people.

In 2015 TfL and Lambeth Council proposed a new

pedestrian crossing 100 yards south of the junction level with Streatham Green, but this was
widely rejected by the public when plans were shared.

The new plans - which will be put out for formal public consultation in the Spring - seem to us to be much improved.

A new, "Green Man" crossing would be created on Streatham High Road, immediately south of the junction with Mitcham Lane (where there is currently an informal crossing but no Green Man). The existing pedestrian crossing north of Gleneldon Rd would be removed and the southbound stop-line for traffic would be moved from its current position north of Gleneldon Rd to just south of Gleneldon Rd.


Road planners told Streatham's Green Team they believe this will create a safer crossing on Streatham High Road at the "line of desire", where TfL's monitoring shows nearly 300 people an hour currently try to cross where there is no Green Man.

In addition they propose introducing no right turns into or out of Shrubbery Road - thus aiding the smooth flow of traffic along Streatham High Road at this point - and also along Tooting Bec Gardens - which could potentially lead to less hazardous driving at St Leonard's Junction. They think it may also reduce the number of people using Prentis Road and Shrubbery Road as "rat runs".

All of this will be tested in road modelling to be carried out in the new year. The results of this - and public consultation in the Spring - will determine if the plans go ahead.