Agenda item

Copers Cope/Bromley Town/Penge and Cator

Report ES16059

Approval was sought on two proposed Quietway routes to enable officers and TfL’s delivery partners, Sustrans, to progress the routes to detailed design and implementation stages.

Should the proposed routes be endorsed to enable officers to sign-off the Quietways Definition Plan (QDP), TfL would assess whether or not the proposed routes represent quality and best value and make a final judgment on whether to release funding for the schemes. If approved by TfL, a detailed design for both schemes would then be prepared The Portfolio Holder and Ward Members would be informed of progress and Members consulted on the detailed design of interventions.

At present TfL planned to deliver two Quietways in Bromley:

(i) from Lower Sydenham to Bromley town centre as part of Phase 2.2, joining-up with the proposed Greenwich to Kent House Station route just outside the borough boundary on Waterlink Way in L B Lewisham; and

(II)  the section of the Greenwich to Kent House Station route from Lower Sydenham Station to Kent House Station.

The routes were at feasibility stage, officers having worked with TfL and Sustrans to produce a list of proposed interventions and costings to include in the Quietway Definition Plans (QDPs) for each route.

If a route was unable to meet the level of quality TfL were seeking for Quietways (when assessed at the Sponsor’s review), TfL funding would not be guaranteed for the route. As such, detailed designs had yet to be produced. Should TfL decide to fund implementation, informal consultation could be undertaken with relevant stakeholders on proposed interventions with further Member and public consultation (including statutory consultation where necessary) taking place during the design process, prior to implementation.

Passing a number of railway stations in the borough, the Lower Sydenham to Bromley route was expected to be popular, contributing to increased cycle mode share and increased rates of cycle to rail journeys. The Greenwich to Kent House route via Lower Sydenham would also provide an important link between stations on different lines in the borough, encouraging a greater uptake of cycle to rail journeys. The route linked with the Lower Sydenham to Bromley route, just north of Lower Sydenham station, providing Bromley town centre and Beckenham residents with a high-quality cycle route to other parts of South East London. Both routes would also benefit pedestrians with improved crossing facilities and potential surface quality at key points along the routes.

As large sections of both routes in the borough are based on existing London Cycle Network routes, investment from the Quietways programme would benefit all users of existing routes and enable L B Bromley to upgrade the routes at no cost to the authority. This included Kangley Bridge Road on the Greenwich to Kent House route whose improvement would provide an opportunity to implement a Pay & Display/Business Parking scheme in the road. TfL would not provide funding to displace day to day Council expenditure but where interventions were required to bring the routes to Quietway standard, there would be improvements to assets and potentially a slight reduction in revenue expenditure (e.g. from new lighting or  repairs to surfacing). Potentially, interventions funded by the scheme could also make a positive contribution to the streetscape through use of high-quality surface materials, better lighting, and cleansing.

The Executive was asked to add the provisional scheme for the proposed Quietway Cycle Routes in Bromley to the capital programme. The total cost of the Quietway Cycle Routes scheme amounted to £862.5k which included funding for L B Bromley project management staff time and design costs.

No Ward Member comments were received on the section of the Greenwich route from Lower Sydenham to Kent House Station. Ward Member comments received for the route from Lower Sydenham to Bromley town were outlined to the Committee. Subject to approval being received from TfL for the two routes as outlined in the QDP and funding released for the schemes, it was intended to complete the two Quietways in the borough by 30^th November 2018.  

RESOLVED that:

(1)  the Environment Portfolio Holder be recommended to:

(a)  endorse the proposed Quietway cycle route from Lower Sydenham to Bromley and the proposed interventions; 

(b)  endorse the proposed Quietway cycle route from Lower Sydenham to Kent House Station and the proposed interventions;

(c)  authorise the Executive Director of Environment and Community Services to sign-off the Quietways Definition Plan (QDP) to enable TfL to formally review the proposals and make a final decision on whether to proceed with funding for the routes;

(d)  permit Council officers (assuming TfL approval for the Quietway as proposed in the QDP is granted) to begin an informal consultation with relevant stakeholders on the proposed interventions in early 2017 which is expected to take up to three months; and

(2) the Executive be recommended to agree to add the provisional scheme for the proposed Quietway Cycle Routes in Bromley to the Capital Programme, at an estimated cost of £862.5k, to be fully funded by TfL.