Catford Town Centre, changes to South Circular Road

Share Catford Town Centre, changes to South Circular Road on Facebook Share Catford Town Centre, changes to South Circular Road on Twitter Share Catford Town Centre, changes to South Circular Road on Linkedin Email Catford Town Centre, changes to South Circular Road link

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

If you have any questions about the scheme, you can ask us here. We will then aim to get back to you.

Please note that any questions you ask may be visible to others and will be subject to moderation. Any personal information will be kept confidential but your user name will be displayed. Further details on moderation are available here and privacy here.