Agenda item

Dale Foden, Head of Highways, Highways Division, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth Department will present the enclosed report on Vehicle Footway Crossovers – commonly referred to as  dropped kerbs.

Royal Horticultural Society report 

‘Gardening Matters Front Gardens- Are we parking on our gardens? Do driveways cause flooding?’ is enclosed as background information.

Links to the following reports are also provided as background information:

https://frontgardens.nationalparkcity.org/blog/britains-vanishing-front-gardens/

https://www.rhs.org.uk/communities/archive/PDF/Greener-Streets/greening-grey-britain-report.pdf

The chair introduced the item by explaining that the officer report had been requested to address the installation of dropped kerbs (Vehicle Footway Crossovers)  and associated paving over of  front gardens to create parking. Officers have been asked to explore what can be done to prevent this, or if that is not possible, how it can be mitigated.

The reports from Royal Horticultural Society, National Park City Foundation & Ealing Front Gardens Project have been provided as background information. As these lay out that by 2010 approximately 12 square miles of front gardens – equivalent to 22 Hyde Parks - had been paved over. By 2015, 50% of all of London’s front gardens had been paved over – a 36% increase through the decade. With the growth in EVs, there is now an additional catalyst driving applications for dropped kerbs. Loss of front gardens is having a significant impact on biodiversity, it also increases risks of flooding and is leading to rising temperatures in the urban environment.

There are ways to reduce the impact by insisting on the use of permeable materials and retaining planting.

Later in the agenda, we will explore pavement channels as a potential solution for charging Electrical Vehicles. The growth in EVs is one of the drivers for both the installation of paving and of Vehicle Footway Crossovers.

Dale Foden, Head of Highways, Highways Division, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth Department was then invited to present the enclosed report on Vehicle Footway Crossovers. Michael Tsoukaris, Head of Design Conservation and Transport Planning Division is also joined the meeting to answer questions.

The chair then invited questions and the following points were made:

·  Officers said that an Article IV Direction has to be agreed by the Secretary of State. These are usually employed for areas of particular concern rather than widespread over a large geographical area.  There is a consequence risk of appeal with residents seeking redress based in loss of value of parking. This is roughly estimated at £20k based on letting for garages. 

·  Dropped kerbs are only allowed where there is sufficient space for parking and no over-hanging of the pavement. Preventing this is through enforcement, but this has not been undertaken to date.

·  Officers said that there has been no equalities audit of the implementation of dropped kerbs. It was noted by members that generally these are installed in wealthier areas with larger properties with front gardens.

·  CPZs are used as a condition for refusal of dropped kerbs in the London Boroughs of Haringey and Camden. The justification is that dropped kerbs reduce access to parking on the highway. Officers were asked if there have been any legal challenges and they said that they have requested information on this from Camden. Members noted that this sets a  precedent. Officers said this does come down to legal opinion and they would seek more advice before seeking to implement an Article IV Direction in Southwark.

·  Members asked if more can be done with the material used creating a hard standing and planting. Officers said there is some leverage in Conservation areas to follow the RHS advice. However in a situation where there is no demolition in a Conservation area, or under 5 squares metres is laid down as a Permitted Development right, then options are limited.

·  Members asked if it would be possible to increase the charge for the installation of dropped kerbs to nudge people away from this. Officers said the table comparing charging with other boroughs is provided to show by how much the council could reasonably increase fees.

·  The chair said that the Commission will consider what can be done, including looking to give advice to residents on mitigation, as set out in the RHS report, and alternatives, such as allowing pavement channels.