Long Lane zebra crossing plan approved
Long Lane is to get a new zebra crossing at the junction with Wild's Rents under new Southwark Council proposals recently given formal approval.
Plans for the new zebra crossing were signed off earlier this month by Southwark Council cabinet member Cllr James McAsh.
Under the proposals, the northern end of Wild's Rents will be closed to motor traffic.
A public consultation in April and May 2023 received 99 responses, with 81 people backing the part-closure of Wild's Rents and 86 supporting the new zebra crossing.
According to the official council report on the proposal, local councillors asked for a new pedestrian crossing on Long Lane but "there were no viable options due to the number of mature trees and vehicle crossovers".
The report continued:
Officers note that Wild’s Rents was mostly used as a through route by traffic trying to take a short cut between Long Lane and Great Dover Street, and there was a high number of vehicles contravening the one way restriction.
This is an additional safety concern as unsuspecting pedestrians and traffic on Long Lane would not be expecting vehicles to be exiting Wild’s Rents on to Long Lane as there is a one way restriction in place which prohibits motor vehicles from travelling northbound on to Long Lane from Wild’s Rents.
Officers therefore recommend that the proposal be introduced to improve accessibility for pedestrians and reduce the traffic along Wild’s Rents.
If no formal objections are received to the proposed Traffic Management Order, then the new crossing could be installed in September this year.
