Work starts on new cycling provision at County Hall

Cyclists have long been unimpressed by the cycle route (National Cycle Network route 4)along Belvedere Road, which is owned by Japanese company Shirayama, owner of County Hall.

Work has just started on some changes here. The photo above shows holes being dug for bollards by Forum Magnum Square. The end result will look like this, viewed from County Hall:

The approach from Chichley Street (i.e. the London Eye end) will look like this:

and the Westminster Bridge Road end will look like this:

As the land is privately owned Lambeth Council has limited powers to get the kind of quality they'd like (and I'm damn certain they won't reckon much to this), even though a condition of planning consent was S106 funding (see below), to mitigate the impact of the development locally.

I can't work out exactly where cyclists are intended to be from the plans I have and have asked to meet the County Hall management to find out more. I'll let you know how I get on. In the meantime if you know directors of tenants or other people of influence on the landowner please consider discussing this with them. If you use the County Hall restaurants and visitor attractions you may wish to consider whether to continue to do so.

------ S106 detail ------

There are two relevant S106 obligations, both of which specifically mention cycling. I understand there was and still is an obligation on the developer of County Hall (Shirayama Shokusan Co Ltd) to submit and implement a scheme for Belvedere Rd, under the S106 Agreement signed in 1993 (Legal ref 342/L/S106):

A traffic management scheme for the closed section of Belvedere Road incorporating a) taxi drop off points, b) coach parking bays, c) a cycle lane, d) car parking restrictions, e) alterations to the junction of Westminster Bridge Road and Belvedere Road. Plus tree planting scheme for Westminster Bridge Road and Belvedere Road.

There is also a similar obligation on the developers of the North and South Block Belvedere (Frogmore Developments Limited – now Galliard Homes) signed in 1996 (legal ref 23/L/S106)

To formulate in conjunction with the adjoining property a traffic management and landscaping scheme for the closed section of Belvedere Road and its junctions with Westminster Bridge Road and Chichely Street incorporating a cycle lane on or immediately adjacent thereto. Once Final Scheme has been approved by Council, to implement along with neighbour.