Policy information sourced from Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035

T2: Walking

Lambeth will support the delivery of a programme of public realm improvements designed to create attractive places that encourage economic and social activity, improve conditions for pedestrians, and make walking a safer, healthier, quicker, more direct and attractive form of travel.

In line with the hierarchy set out in Local Plan policy T1(c), Lambeth will promote walking by giving greater priority to pedestrians in the use of road space, introducing appropriate motor traffic management measures, reducing road danger from other transport modes and through improvements to signage and way-finding.

Development proposals should deliver an improved environment for pedestrians, appropriate to the scale and nature of the proposal with particular regard to accessibility, safety, convenience and directness of movements, including provision of new routes and desire lines, and enhancement of existing routes with reference to the Lambeth Healthy Routes Plan. All development should reduce road danger, to help deliver ‘Vision Zero’ in the borough. Major development proposals should identify key routes and destinations and assess existing and predicted pedestrian flows to, through and from the site. They should provide safe, direct, and attractive routes that accommodate these flows and will be expected to provide improvements that will encourage additional walking trips, including, where appropriate, Legible London signage. Development proposals should facilitate the improvement of footways to minimum standards where these are not currently met, including through the provision of land for adoption as highway, and enable footway widening where increased footfall is expected. Reductions in footway space will not be permitted.

Pedestrian routes should normally be provided at street level, and Lambeth will seek opportunities to replace existing subways and footbridges with safe routes at street level. Planning applications must ensure that existing pedestrian routes and public rights of way are retained and where appropriate improved. Where new routes that will improve permeability are identified, rights of way should be secured for these.

The council is committed to ensuring that the physical environment in Lambeth, including all our streets, is fully accessible to all. Provision for pedestrians should therefore be inclusive and prioritise people with disabilities and particular mobility needs.

For more information please see the Local Plan