Catford Town Centre, changes to South Circular Road

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Consultation has concluded

Update 30 November 2023  

We are now able to publish our report on the outcomes of our public consultation on proposals to make changes to the A205 South Circular road through Catford town centre. The proposals included relocating part of Catford Road to the south of Laurence House, creating a new public space between Laurence House and the Civic Suite. We also proposed improvements to pedestrian crossings and cycling infrastructure and new greening and planting to create a more attractive town centre.  

We received 1,503 responses to the consultation. You can find the consultation report in the ‘Documents’ section of

Update 30 November 2023  

We are now able to publish our report on the outcomes of our public consultation on proposals to make changes to the A205 South Circular road through Catford town centre. The proposals included relocating part of Catford Road to the south of Laurence House, creating a new public space between Laurence House and the Civic Suite. We also proposed improvements to pedestrian crossings and cycling infrastructure and new greening and planting to create a more attractive town centre.  

We received 1,503 responses to the consultation. You can find the consultation report in the ‘Documents’ section of this page.  

Having considered all the responses carefully, we have decided to modify our proposals.  

The scheme will be revised in the following ways:  

  • The cycling and pedestrian facilities in Sangley Road will be revised to include further segregation between pedestrians and cyclists
  • We will review the proposals to minimise loss of trees
  • We will review bus stopping patterns in Rushey Green to minimise the impacts on those using bus routes 75 and 185

We intend to have detailed designs of this scheme prepared by late 2024, with construction potentially starting in 2025. This is subject to further funding being available.  

We would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation.

- update ends -

Overview

Transport for London has been working in partnership with Lewisham Council to support their ambition to transform Catford Town Centre and improve transport in the area.

We want to help the council create a greener town centre and ensure Catford is an enjoyable place for people to live, work and visit. We are proposing to make changes to the South Circular Road - part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) to provide a better experience for pedestrians and road users in Catford Town Centre. In particular, we want to make it easier and safer to walk, cycle and use the bus in Catford, helping people to make more journeys on foot, by bike and by public transport.

The main change we’re proposing would see Catford Road (part of the South Circular) moved to a new position south of Laurence House on the site of the Canadian Avenue car park. We would also remove the one-way system around Plassy Island, making it a two-way road. Moving the road in this way would give us access to more space around the relocated road to make improvements for all road users, including cyclists and pedestrians.

As part of this work, we are proposing a new two-way segregated cycle lane on the new stretch of road which will provide a safe way for cyclists to cross a new junction with the A21 Bromley Road into Sangley Road. New north-south cycle lanes on Rushey Green (part of the A21) are also proposed.

We also propose to install three new pedestrian crossings by Catford Bridge station, Sangley Road at the junction with Plassy Road and at Rushey Green’s junction with Brownhill Road, as well as improving existing pedestrian crossings and widening some pavements. This would make it safer, easier and more convenient for people to walk around the town centre.

In addition to these measures, we propose to reduce the speed limit for vehicles on the stretches of TfL roads (A205 and A21) within the extents of the scheme to 20mph. This is in line with the Mayor of London’s Vision Zero strategy to reduce death and serious injury on London’s roads by 2041. There is strong evidence that reducing speeds to 20mph results in less serious injuries to vulnerable road users in the event of a collision.

The proposals would enable us to develop plans for new tree planting and enhancements to the appearance of the town centre. It would also give the council the opportunity to create a new public space in the heart of the town centre.

Our plans also require some changes to bus stops and traffic movements through the town centre, which could result in smoother traffic flows and quicker bus journey times for many people.

In addition to these benefits, our proposals will accommodate the delivery of both the Mayor of London and Lewisham Council’s ambitions for Catford. This includes the Mayor of London’s ambition to deliver Healthy Streets and Healthy People and a Good Public Transport Experience, and the Council’s vision for the future of Catford, set out in the Catford Town Centre Framework.

Further details

Further details of our proposals and local environmental issues together with computer generated images of how the town centre might look if changes to the roads go ahead, can be found in the 'Proposals' section.

You can see an overview map of the site below and there are more detailed maps which you can download in the 'Documents' section of this website. Click on the map to view a larger version.

Catford Town Centre overview map

Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA)

We have undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment for these proposals and you can find this in the ‘Documents’ section of this website. The assessment identifies and examines the impacts, both positive and negative, of the proposals on individuals and groups with protected characteristics as set out in the Equalities Act. This is kept under review and used to form part of our decision making process, including any new information which is submitted as part of the consultation process. Please take our survey to let us know if there is anything you think we need to consider.

How to have your say

We want as many people as possible to let us know what they think about our proposals. You can respond by completing our online survey. You will need to register to complete the survey. If you would prefer to send us your views in writing you can also email us at haveyoursay@tfl.gov.uk or write to us at FREEPOST TFL HAVE YOUR SAY (no stamp needed).

The ‘Documents’ section of this webpage provides the following information to help you make your response:

We have produced British Sign Language videos which give details of the consultation and survey, these also include audio.

Paper copies of the consultation materials and survey will be available at Catford Library, in Catford Shopping Centre from Friday 28 April, for the duration of the consultation, for you to either complete and leave in our collection box or to take away and post back if you prefer.

Consultation drop-in events

We are holding four drop-in sessions allow members of the public to view consultation materials, speak informally to members of the team about the proposals and get the information they need in order to make an informed response to the consultation. Please see the 'Drop-in events' section to find the dates and times. These are open to everyone so please feel free to call in and speak to us.

We recognize that some people might prefer to talk to us online. If you would like to arrange an online discussion, via Teams, Zoom or another platform please email haveyoursay@tfl.gov.uk or telephone 020 3054 6037. Again, these are designed to provide people with the information they need to respond to the consultation.

If you have any questions about the consultation, would like to request paper copies of our materials, please get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@tfl.gov.uk. We also have a consultation telephone line which you can call to provide feedback, ask questions or request materials in alternative formats - please call 020 3054 6037 and leave a message and a contact number, quoting ‘Catford Town Centre’ and a member of the team will call you back.

The consultation will be open until Monday 5 June 2023.

Consultation has concluded
  • The proposals in more detail

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    Changes to the South Circular Road (Catford Road)

    We propose to move the South Circular Road (Catford Road) to run through the existing Canadian Avenue car park at Laurence House where it will then cross the A21 Bromley Road at a redesigned junction and join directly with Sangley Road. This creates more pedestrian space for the public within the town centre.

    The proposals aim to:

    • Create a largely car-free town centre with improved pedestrian access to shops, leisure facilities and other local amenities - vehicle access for servicing/deliveries will remain as it is now
    • Simplify the road network by removing the one-way system around Plassy Island, making it two-way
    • Improve walking and cycling infrastructure with new segregated cycle lanes, pedestrian crossings and wider pavements
    • Provide a new public space with trees and greening
    • Accommodate Lewisham Council’s Catford Town Centre Framework aspirations to transform Catford

    Changes for cyclists

    The new section of the South Circular (Catford Road) would feature a new two-way cycle lane along the south side of Catford Road. We also propose to make improvements for cyclists through the town centre. This includes:

    • A new two-way segregated cycle lane along the new section of Catford Road
    • New segregated cycle lanes along Rushey Green between Catford Road and Brownhill Road - new bus stop by-passes will provide pedestrian access to the bus stops
    • A wider northbound bus lane on Rushey Green between Brownhill Road and Wildfell Road
    • A new shared facility on the widened southern footway of Sangley Road
    • New toucan crossings to improve access between the town centre, stations and the wider area
    • Advanced Stop Lanes (‘bike boxes’) and signalised early release for cyclists at the new junction of Catford Road, Sangley Road and Bromley Road

    Changes for pedestrians

    We want to make Catford town centre a more comfortable place to get around for those on foot. Our proposed changes include:

    • Wider footpaths between Catford Bridge Station and the town centre
    • A new light controlled pedestrian crossing over Catford Road at Catford Bridge station
    • New light controlled pedestrian crossings over Catford Road near Thomas Lane, over Canadian Avenue and over Plassy Road at Sangley Road
    • Improved light controlled pedestrian crossings in the town centre
    • New light-controlled pedestrian crossings on all arms of the new junction at Catford Road, Sangley Road and Bromley Road
    • Simplifying the junction of Rushey Green and Brownhill Road to introduce new ‘straight across’ pedestrian crossings to make crossing the A21 Rushey Green easier for pedestrians

    Changes for bus passengers

    We would need to relocate some bus stops in the town centre, which may affect journeys for people who travel to or through Catford town centre by bus. Removing the need for some bus routes to travel around the gyratory system will also make some bus journeys quicker. Some bus passengers may have a shorter walk, while others may have a little longer walk from the bus stop to the shops and leisure facilities than they do now.

    We have produced a document summarising the changes to bus routes which travel through Catford Town Centre.

  • Computer generated images (CGIs)

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    While it is not possible to predict exactly how Catford town centre might look should the scheme go ahead, we have provided some computer generated ‘artist’s impressions’ to help people visualise the possible changes.

    Rushey Green

    This image shows Rushey Green looking northwards towards Lewisham with new pedestrian crossings and cycle facilities.


    Catford Road

    This image shows Catford Road looking eastwards towards Eltham, and the proposed alignment of the road to the south of Laurence House.


  • Local environmental issues

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    Improving London’s Air Quality is a priority for the Mayor of London. The Mayor of London has an Air Quality Strategy aimed at improving our air and environment including ambitions to reduce vehicle emissions and the number of vehicles on the roads, and encouraging more walking, cycling and use of public transport. This includes implementing the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

    The scheme would reduce exposure to poor air quality in the town centre by moving traffic on the South Circular away from public areas and shops. We anticipate that the improvements to walking and cycling infrastructure will encourage more people to travel on foot, by bike or on public transport, helping to reduce the number of car journeys and associated vehicle emissions.

    The expansion of the ULEZ in 2021 to the boundary of the South Circular Road has had a positive impact on air quality so far. In August 2023 the ULEZ will be expanded further, beyond the South Circular Road to cover the whole of Greater London, helping to further improve air quality in this area and across London.

    We hope that the physical changes proposed here combined with the policy changes being implemented through the ULEZ expansion will improve air quality in the town centre, and we are currently undertaking assessments of the proposals’ impact on air quality and noise. This work is ongoing and will be completed later this year.

    The new road layout would incorporate a small section of the St Dunstan’s College Jubilee Ground at the existing vehicle access to the sports ground on Canadian Avenue. We have been working with St Dunstan’s College to mitigate the impact of the new road layout and to ensure the sports ground can function effectively throughout construction, and once the scheme is complete. We are working with the College to provide an alternative vehicular access to the sports ground.

    In designing the scheme we have sought to minimise, the number of trees that will need to be removed. To compensate for any trees which need to be removed, the proposals include new trees and landscaping within the town centre. We will work with Lewisham Council to deliver a net increase in trees in Catford Town Centre.