Harper Road Street Improvements - Have your say

Overview

We are proposing a range of street improvements to Harper Road and would like to hear what you think. The proposed Harper Road street improvements include the junction of Swan Street and extend to New Kent Road*. The street falls within the project study area for Walk Elephant and will form part of a future quietway, currently in concept design, to join quietway 7 at Falmouth Road. The design was developed in coordination with other works in the street: shopfront renewal at the shopping parade and refurbishment of Dickens Square Park.

We have spoken to residents and stakeholders over the past couple of years who have told us about a number of issues at Harper Road. A 'Healthy Streets' perception survey conducted this summer confirmed many of the concerns raised:

• Cars, HGVs and other large vehicles have been using Harper Road as a through-route. The traffic is intimidating, travelling at high speeds, and poses a hazard to pedestrians, particularly vulnerable road users such as children attending the Globe Academy, the elderly and children visiting the mosque and parks and cyclists accessing nearby quietways.
• Harper Road does not always feel like a safe and inclusive place for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. The shopping parade is neglected. There are pinch-points in the footway where there are mature trees and sign posts, and there are not enough crossing opportunities in the street.
• There's a lack of safe and comfortable places for people to stop and rest, relax and pass the time.

We are proposing a number of other measures in the street to make the street feel safer and more likely to encourage people to walk and cycle:

• Keep the trial width restrictions as a permanent measure with a more robust feature (e.g. bell bollard) at Harper Road, and replace the existing island in Bath Terrace with a gate/removable bollards to allow emergency access. The width restriction which has resulted in an 86% drop in HGVs and 23% drop in motorised vehicles in Harper Road, reducing peak flows to below 500, and reducing traffic in the surrounding streets. The proportion of HGVs dropped from 5.8% to 1% in the middle section of the road, and NO2 levels have decreased in three monitoring locations in the street (see results attached below).  While a full road closure or filter has been requested by some residents and stakeholders, at this stage the width restriction along with complementary measures below is considered proportionate as a measure to reduce traffic flows and speeds in the street. We will monitor the effect of the measures, and assess the need for further measures such as filtering at a later stage.
• Slow down traffic with new raised crossings, narrowing of the road, and more cycle-friendly sinusoidal speed humps (replacing any speed sushions).
• Improve accessibility for people from all walks of life by widening footways, providing raised crossings, providing reserved cycle stands for cyclists with disabilities and creating more accessible crossings (e.g. drop kerbs with wider traffic island, and associated tactile paving).
• Minimal effect on existing parking: A car club bay and two bays will be relocated further west down the road, and loss of one one permit and paid space at Dickens Square Park, and two short stay bays by New Kent Road. The effect of this is considered negligible considering the low parking occupancy in the area.
• Resurface the footway at the shopping parade with granite paving stones in line with our streetscape palette, to complement the planned shopfront improvements.
• Replace existing planters at the shopping parade with new planting and seating to make the area more attractive and provide places to stop and rest.
• Change the service road in front of shops to one way to improve safety and reconfigure footpath, allowing extension of parking bay (N.B. angled parking was assessed with tracking software and was not feasible due to the TfL cycle stand obstructing movements).
• Add more cycle stands at the shopping parade.
• Add single seats in the wide footway south of Falmouth Road so that people walking can stop and rest.
• Remove street clutter (posts, railing and bollards) and remove the give way road feature south of Falmouth Road to make the area more pleasant and feel more inclusive.
• Provide things to see and do: paint electricity boxes by Rockingham Street, and create play opportunities such as hopscotch, in the wide footway south of Falmouth Road. 

You can see these proposals in detail in the proposed Preliminary Design attached below. 

Please let us know how you feel about these ideas, what comments and suggestions you might have, and what other aspirations you might have for the street, using our online questionnaire below.

In addition to the questionnaire if you would like to share your views and suggestions and see what other people think, please go to our interactive map. 

Please also see upcoming events below for an opportunity to discuss the proposals with council officers.

*The section of road from Newington Causeway/Borough High Street to Swan Street will be part of later scheme tied in with the redevelopment of the corner at Borough High Street and the upcoming Quietway design.

Why your views matter

We think that we understand what the issues are on Harper Road, and we've made proposals based on what we have heard and things that have worked elsewhere. But it's really important to us to find out whether these are the sorts of changes that you would like to see in your local area.

We would be grateful if you could take the time to review the proposal attached below and let us know what you think using the online questionnaire. In addition please share your comments and suggestions with others through our new map tool here.

Your views are really important to help us make sure the final design meets the needs of the local community.

What happens next

The responses to this consultation will be evaluated and will contribute to the final design phase. This will be submitted to the Cabinet Member for approval, subject to the outcome of statutory consultation.