To improve traffic flow, reduce pollution and make it safer and more attractive

Councillors last night approved the first phase of the improvement plan, which will see the most radical revamp of the High Street for many years. It was drawn up following extensive consultation with local people and groups, who were asked what changes they would like to see. The plans did not benefit from any TfL funding following a failed bid, however the council plan to make a second bid for funding later this year towards phase two.

The first phase costing up to £640,000 will include:

• Sections of road-narrowing scheme in part of the High Street to enable pavements to be widened
• Improving the junctions of Putney Bridge Road and Lacy Road with the High Street
• Installing a piece of public art or ‘green wall’ on the cinema façade
• Uplighting key buildings
• Installing a trail ‘Copenhagen Crossing’ to make the busy High Street easier to cross. If this is successful, more could be installed
• Removing unnecessary guardrails
• Planting trees and installing planters
• Installing a ‘City Tree’ which help filter pollution
• Reducing the speed limit to 20mph
• A trial cycle lane contra-flow
• Improving cycle parking provision

The report contains a wide range of additional improvements, which will be introduced as more money becomes available.

These include further improvements to the cycle network, exploring opportunities for relocating the taxi rank, installing more public art, creating more public open spaces and enhancing bus stops.


Thamesfield Councillors

Thamesfield councillor, Rosemary Torrington told this website: ""We have been campaigning for these improvements for the past year and are delighted that work is now poised to start. This is a great start and will make meaningful improvements to the public realm giving pedestrians and cyclists greater priority over vehicles. We will continue our campaign to secure further funding to realise the extended package. We appreciate the early funding commitment from Positively Putney and look forward to working with them and residents groups, the Putney Society and Wandsworth Living Streets to ensure that the improvements are the best they can be and work for everyone. As the High Street suffers from serious problems with air pollution, we very much hope that London Mayor will reconsider and support a funding bid for this scheme later in the year. We will continue to look carefully at development sites as they come up to ensure that opportunities to improve the public realm continue to be maximised."

Nicola Grant, Executive Director of Positively Putney BID said: "Positively Putney have been working very closely with Wandsworth Council on developing these improvements for Putney High Street to improve the pedestrian experience and the air quality. We have pledged £20,000 of support.

The council’s community services spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said: “We have been working on these proposals for some time, and I’m pleased phase one was agreed last night. We hope Putney residents will quickly notice the improvements.

“Going forward, there’s lots more we want to do. Some funding is in place and we are working hard to secure more. We’re disappointed that our recent bid to TfL was unsuccessful, especially as the Mayor of London has stated that tackling pollution is a priority for him, but we will continue to work closely with TfL and make a further funding bid later this year.”

Read the full report

February 23, 2018