Greenwich reveal details of cycle lanes and street work – but much info is still missing

After some time waiting Greenwich Council have released documents showing planned projects included in a bid for emergency funds from TfL.

The uploaded documents arrive after three rounds of TfL funding saw no money allocation to Greenwich Council. Unfortunately details are still severely lacking in these documents. Firstly, there’s no detail of what each project will comprise. Here’s a screengrab:

Exactly what each cycle lane, for example, will include is an unknown alongside what town centre work comprises. There’s little information except that they will seek to recoup cost of work already carried out. Given work so far is extremely basic in most areas there’s no way £163,901 has been spent in Woolwich or £115,630 in Greenwich.

Compare to a Bromley document which not only lists a large number of projects in and around Bromley town centre, but includes details and costings of each:

If Bromley can provide new crossings, cycle parking, planters, new kerbs and paving plus footpaths for a fraction of the £115,630 Greenwich seek for Greenwich town centre, there’s no way previous work to provide barriers gets close to the full amount sought. So where will the rest be spent?

There’s more in Bromley’s document for Bromley town centre alone:

Similar levels of detail are seen at other town centres alongside wards across the borough. Compare that again to the Greenwich document. This is the sum total of information:

The report states: “Officers have developed and submitted to TfL an ambitious programme of schemes for consideration for London Streetspace funding. These measures include strategic cycle routes using temporary materials, space for social
distancing in town centres, and low traffic neighbourhoods.”

Yet without any real detail who knows how ambitious it is?

Bromley have details of measures to assist 25 town centres and shopping parades. Greenwich have four.

When looking at cycle routes, there’s some dangerous stretches such as Woolwich High Street with a bus stand and frequent parking. We have no idea what is planned there. Greenwich are hoping TfL will directly fund the stretch from Greenwich to Woolwich though it ends at the ferry roundabout.

Lack of detail is present in the Greenwich document when it comes to modal filters (street furniture to block vehicles and rat-runs) plus school streets:

There’s no information on where modal filters are planned, nor locations and number of school streets and school support programs in the document.

A second document does reveal the locations of three schools streets at Invicta, Wyborne and Charlton Manor primary schools.

Three school streets is below the number planned in many authorities. Yesterday I covered 10 planned in Hounslow, for example. Here’s Newham with seven.

In terms of modal filters Lewisham last week revealed the location of seven sites with 30 to follow. The seven are:

• Scawen Road
• George Lane
• Kitto Road
• Glenbow Rd
• South Row
• Bishopsthorpe Rd
• Silverdale

Though not all have been installed without issue.

In Greenwich we have no numbers nor locations in the new documents.

Another comparison is Southwark. Click here to see various projects including detailed map and information.

Surely Greenwich have submitted more information to TfL? If they have, release it. If they havn’t, that could explain why they are so far one of nine authorities out of 33 across London not to see any funding allocated so far.

Whatever one it is, this document does little to alleviate fears about a lack of transparency and the quality of bids submitted. Secrecy still rules.

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