A Green Walking Network for Southwark; Outline from Southwark

Living Streets (February 2019)

Background

• This document briefly sets out some initial ideas for a Green Walking Network for Southwark. On the

first two pages we set out why it is needed and how it might be developed.

• On the map on the third page, we suggest how it ties in with existing and proposed active networks

(eg the TfL Quietway programme) and the strategic London walking routes (eg Thames Path and

Green Chain Walk) and other initiatives such as planned regeneration projects in the borough (such

as the Greener Belt as part of the OKR AAP and the Low Line) and community led initiatives such as

Walk Elephant, East Walworth Green Links, the Peckham Coal Line and Dulwich Safer Routes to

School.

• The number references below relate to the routes that are shown on the map of page 3.

1. Vision

The vision is for a network of green, traffic free/traffic light walking routes across the borough which

will connect residents, workers school children and visitors to the numerous green and open spaces

that are on their doorstep and encourage them to venture further afield on safe attractive walking

routes. Southwark will develop a network to rival the most attractive places for walking in the UK and

encourage huge numbers of people to make far healthier and attractive choices as they travel around

the vast number of attractions that exist that are of national (eg Tate Modern) and local (eg The Blue)

significance.

2. What is the Southwark Green Walking Network?

• Southwark has an array of green and open spaces and parks that spread right across the borough. It

also has fantastic links to other amenities that are easily reached on foot including numerous town

centres, the River Thames and strategic walking routes such as the Green Chain Walk.

• BUT all too often people overlook the connections on foot between these places and where they live

and work. Choosing to walk can combat some of the serious public health problems that Southwark

faces and help more people to increase their levels of activity in the easiest and most convenient

way possible.

• The Green Walking Network is a response to this and seeks to connect:

- Green spaces (eg 1 East Walworth Green Links; 11 Green Chain Walk).

- Where people live to green spaces with improved walking routes (22 Camberwell Green to

Myatts Fields; 5 E&C to GMH Park; 21 Camberwell to Burgess Park).

- Town Centres - providing alternative walking routes between town centres away from main

roads (25 Herne Hill to Dulwich Village; 26 Peckham to Nunhead).

- Where people live to amenities (28 Peckham to the OKR).

- Town centres to amenities on routes away from main roads (12 E&C to London Bridge).

- Residents to key amenities (eg 8 OKR AAP Green Links will help link people living in the

centre of the borough make more visits to the river). A key task is to link people in the centre

and north of the borough to the array of green spaces in the south (Nunhead Cemetery,

Peckham Rye Park and the Green Chain Walk).

- Routes to school and facilitating walking to school (15 routes through West Walworth to

Crampton Primary School; 25 behind the Herne Hill Velodrome).

• Over time Southwark will be creating a network that will encourage walking to become a more

natural choice in the borough for:

- Shorter more functional journeys (trips to the shops, journeys to school or work) AND

- Longer leisure trips such as a walk to a park or the river and to link up with longer walking

routes across London.

3. Delivering the Network

The good news is that delivering the Green Walking Network does not require large interventions and

expense. Many elements of the network are already in existence, many routes would run through

Southwark’s array of parks and open spaces and other parts of the network tie in well with Southwark’s

major regeneration schemes or with other programmes such as the TfL Quietways, Liveable

Neighbourhoods and initiatives such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. Some new routes are needed BUT

much of the work that is needed is planning, design and co-ordination of activities and, as the network

is delivered, promotion of the walking routes that are on people’s doorsteps and the places that they

can now reach. The costs compared to the health benefits the routes will bring should be relatively

small. Below are some suggestions as to how the network will be delivered:

• The network need not be too complex. The map (page 3) shows that a limited number of new routes

will a) connect huge numbers of people to green walking routes across the borough and b) connect

them to amenities that are often overlooked (eg visiting the river and walks along the Thames Path).

• The interventions on the streets involved need not be huge. They might involve creating a safe

crossing or some traffic calming or introducing street trees. It is all about appropriate interventions

rather than wholesale and expensive public realm improvements such as mass footway widening.

• There is a strong fit with transport and planning policy across London and Southwark. Transport

policy in London and funding for it is now guided principally by Healthy Streets and the network

obviously fits perfectly with that. There is also a strong fit with Southwark policy such as the

Kerbside Strategy, the New Southwark Plan which prioritises walking in new developments and

regeneration schemes and hopefully with the new Transport Strategy.

• The project fits well too with what communities are themselves demanding. Community initiatives

such as Walk Elephant, the Peckham Coal Line, the Dulwich Safe Routes to Schools are all based on

the desire to be able to walk and cycle safely and pleasantly around particular parts of Southwark.

Surrey Canal Path

Bagshot Street –

East Walworth

Green Links

Stopford Road -

GreeningGreen Chain Walk -

Brockley Footpath

(Existing) Strategic

Walking Network Routes

Existing Green Links

(Existing and Proposed)

Quietways

1

3

2

Legend – Types of Routes

4

5

Walking Routes Links in

AAPs & Masterplans

6

8

7

9Proposed Walking Routes

10

11

11

Low Line Walking Routes

12

13

1415

16

17

17

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

http://openstreetmap.org/

Legend – The Routes

1Existing East

Walworth Green Link

2EWGL Extension Nursery

Row Park to Burgess Park

3 QW8 Link Burgess Park to

Kennington Park

4 Surrey Canal Path

5Walk Elephant – E&C to

Geraldine Mary

Harmsworth Park

6Canada Water Masterplan

Green Link

7Proposed cycle

foot bridge

8 OKR AAP Green Links

9 Peckham Coal Line

10 Thames Path

11 Green Chain Walk

12Walk Elephant – E&C

to London Bridge

13 QW14 Blackfriars to

Thames Path

14 QW1 Waterloo to

Greenwich

15Walk Elephant – E&C

to West Walworth

16Walk Elephant – Walworth

Rd to the Brandon Estate

17QW7 Borough to

Crystal Palace

18QW Dulwich to Peckham

Rye (exten’n to Nunhead)

19 Southwark Spine

20Southwark Park to

Walworth

21Burgess Park to

Camberwell Green

22Camberwell Green to

Myatts Fields

23 Greendale

24 Camberwell to Peckham

25 Herne Hill to Dulwich

Village

26Peckham Rye to

Nunhead

27 Nunhead to Lewisham

28Peckham to the Old

Kent Road

http://openstreetmap.org/Major Parks &

Open Spaces