Streets for People sets out council ambition to improve air quality

30 June 2023

Southwark Council is taking ambitious steps to improve air quality, moving away from favouring cars to free up more space for walking, public transport and cycling.

This is set out in its Streets for People strategy which is set to be approved by the council’s Cabinet at its meeting on 10 July.

“Polluting vehicles contribute to nearly half of the air pollution in London,” said Cllr James McAsh, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency, Clean Air and Streets. “60.3 per cent of households in Southwark don’t own a car, compared to the London average of 42 per cent, but at the moment we put cars first – we need to change that.

“We want our residents to be able to take safe and healthy journeys, and create more green space for all of our communities to socialise and play in. Some areas of our borough have very little community space and by changing the way we use public space, we can start to improve our environment.

“We’re already doing a huge amount of work to make Southwark a clean, green and safe borough, but we have to go further and faster. Our ambitious and wide-reaching Streets for People strategy sets out how we will create more school streets; improve walking and cycling routes to schools; and invest in our community spaces, creating more opportunities to walk and cycle in safer, more pleasant environments. We’re really excited to work with residents to make the improvements they want to see, and transform our streets into places for people to enjoy.”

During July a number of new initiatives are being launched to encourage and support more residents to choose sustainable alternatives to cars.

These include:

• Better Points Southwark is a new app encouraging more people to walk, cycle or use public transport. The app tracks your travel via GPS from your smartphone and rewards you with points which can be converted into vouchers, discounts in shops or charity donations
• Try before you Bike gives people who can’t afford to buy a new bike the chance to hire one for free for three months. At the end of the three months, there is a choice to buy the bike outright, pay a monthly fee or return the bike
• The council is also looking for 25 new community influencers from different communities, backgrounds and ages to take on the challenge of becoming cyclists. Over the year, they will be encouraged to share their stories and encourage more people to take up cycling

Cllr McAsh added:  “We will be going out to talk to our residents and communities as part of a year-long engagement, asking them about the changes they would like to see in their neighbourhoods, such as more trees, green spaces, cycle hangars, seating, or space to play and socialise in.”

Page last updated: 30 June 2023