Frequently asked questions

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions below. 

What’s the estimated timing from engagement to delivery?

As the majority of our projects have been funded by Transport for London’s Local Implementation Plan, we are aiming to deliver this tranche of Healthy Neighbourhood by March 2027. 

How do you make a decision to proceed on improvements?

What is a “Healthy neighbourhood”?

The Healthy Neighbourhoods programme is a key part of our ambition to create streets where it is easier and more attractive to walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport for everyday journeys. The programme supports the Council's wider goals to reduce carbon emissions, improve public health and create cleaner, greener neighbourhoods.

Why did you choose my area as Healthy Neighbourhoods?

The whole borough has been divided into a number of “Healthy Neighbourhood” areas, which were then prioritised, ranking them according to the importance of their delivery based on various criteria, including their existing Public Transport Accessibility Level, the propensity of residents to walk and cycle, road safety and public health metrics, amongst others. 

Will we lose parking spaces?

Different areas require different solutions to achieve our goal of creating streets where it is easier to walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport for everyday journeys. In some areas, we will be removing some on-street parking spaces to make way for new bus stops and cycle lanes. 

However, by making sustainable and active travel a more attractive option for residents, we want to reduce the overall number of vehicles travelling through residential neighbourhoods. This could, in turn, free up other parking spaces for residents to use. 

Will there be in person events I can attend to talk to someone? 

We will be engaging with residents and stakeholders on plans for new Healthy Neighbourhoods across the borough. Engagement activities will vary across projects but will always include ways for residents to speak with our engagement team. For projects that affect especially large areas, we will hold in-person events which residents will be invited to attend. 

I don't live in a Healthy Neighbourhood area but some of the areas shown include routes I use on a regular basis. Can I still share my views on the proposals?

Yes. Although our engagement will centre on the areas we’re proposing to make Healthy Neighbourhoods, we welcome comments from anyone who has an interest in the roads or streets we include within our plans.

Is this just another LTN?

LTNs, or “Low-traffic neighbourhoods”, are areas within which vehicle through-traffic is controlled or restricted. This is achieved via a number of methods, including the installation of bollards, planters or other physical barriers preventing cars travelling onto a particular street, as well as mechanisms including one-way systems. 

Reducing through-traffic on residential streets can be an objective of a Healthy Neighbourhood project, but this will typically be alongside other measures designed to make sustainable transport easier and more attractive. 

What will you do with the feedback I provide?

Once the engagement period closes, we’ll produce a report explaining the engagement we undertook and the type of feedback we received. This report will be published, and the comments you provide will be used to inform the final, detailed design of the Healthy Neighbourhood project we submit for approval. 

Would you ever change anything about your scheme based on the feedback received? 

Feedback from the community will be used to inform the final detailed design of the project we submit for approval. Relevant local feedback will absolutely be used to confirm aspects of the design, which may include the exact locations of dropped kerbs, pedestrian crossings and other interventions. 

Won’t traffic just move onto other roads?

We design our plans for Healthy Neighbourhoods to reduce the overall number of car journeys people make, rather than just shifting traffic from one street to another. We do this by making walking, wheeling, cycling and using public transport easier and more attractive alternatives, taking journeys off the road. 

We do this by carefully designing our projects, using data including vehicle counts, surveys and safety reviews to understand how people currently travel through an area, and how we might encourage them to use more sustainable means of transport. 

How are these projects being funded?

Our Healthy Neighbourhood projects are mainly funded by money granted to us by Transport for London’s Local Implementation Plan, which provides money to boroughs to deliver local transport improvements across Lewisham, and other London boroughs. 

Will you be including new green spaces and improving the public realm? 

Our plans for Healthy Neighbourhoods aim to make communities across Lewisham cleaner, greener and healthier. New green space and better public realm play a crucial part in achieving these goals, and where possible, we will look to include new trees, planting and improvements to public infrastructure as part of our Healthy Neighbourhood projects.