Plans by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to make it easier and safer to walk and cycle through Greenwich town centre moved a step closer on 9 October when the Council Leader took the decision for detailed final designs to be developed following a public consultation held at the beginning of the year.
The improvements, funded by Transport for London (TfL), would widen the pavement on the southern side of College Approach, to make more space for people walking, as well as installing safer crossing points and resurfacing some pavements.
As well as improving the town centre for pedestrians and cyclists, with a dedicated cycle lane on the busy College Approach, this work will also fund an enhanced and refurbished play area on the Meridian Estate, wider estate improvements, and a quietway cycle link from the town centre back onto Cycleway 4.
Once the current TfL Cycleway 4 extension from Anchor and Hope Lane to Woolwich is complete, both projects will join to form a continuous safe cycle way through Greenwich town centre all the way to Tower Bridge.
Councillor Calum O'Byrne Mulligan, Interim Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Sustainability and Transport, Royal Borough of Greenwich, said:
“Working with TfL, this council is delivering safety for pedestrians and cyclists, while enhancing Greenwich town centre and council estates too. Fixing this missing link will unlock opportunities for local businesses by increasing footfall, while also creating continuous and safe cycle infrastructure from Abbey Wood to Tower Bridge. At the same time, we will see estate improvements and an expanded playground on the Meridian Estate, showing how investment in active travel benefits everyone. Whether you use the infrastructure yourself or not, we will all benefit from the wider community investment and cleaner, safer streets.
“Greenwich town centre is a unique World Heritage site that attracts millions of visitors a year however, the dominance of cars, vans and lorries creates poor air quality. There are narrow pavements and a lack of safe crossings for people walking and the gyratory forces people cycling to navigate multiple lanes of intimidating traffic. Across the borough through schemes like this we’re investing millions to make it easier, healthier and greener to move around by creating a transport network which provides safe and attractive travel options for everyone.”
The Council’s plans involve a full refurbishment and improvement to an old play area on Thames Street on the Meridian Estate, that will be co-designed with local residents as well as wider improvements to the public realm around the Estate that will improve safety, while also creating space for a separate dedicated cycle path as well as room for people walking.
Community engagement on the most recent plans took place between 27 January and 28 February 2025. The Council wrote to residents and businesses in the local area asking them to attend one of four events and take part in a survey online or pick up copies from the local library. Local businesses and statutory consultees such as the emergency services also took part.
These walking and cycling improvements would provide the main cycle connection through the town centre until the Council and TfL’s long-term aspiration to pedestrianise the town centre, by removing the gyratory, known as the Greenwich Town Centre Liveable Neighbourhood, could begin in autumn 2027 at the earliest - subject to future public consultation.
Both schemes align with the Council’s mission to tackle the climate crisis and commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030 as transport is responsible for 31% of the borough’s total emissions.
Next steps
The decision taken by the Council Leader will help to unlock funding from TfL for the Council to progress with detailed designs which will then be subject to a further round of mandatory consultation, with the aim the scheme being in place by autumn 2026.