Wandsworth Falters in London’s Healthy Streets Scorecard

The Healthy Streets Scorecard is now in its sixth year. It is produced by a consortium of organisations including Living Streets, Sustrans, and Future Transport London. The scorecard is based on ten indicators including low traffic neighbourhoods, school streets, bus priority lanes, and rates of active travel (walking, cycling and public transport). Wandsworth has tended to achieve lower scores than other inner London boroughs, and this year only two such boroughs - Lewisham and Kensington and Chelsea – have a lower score. Its overall score has fallen from 5.65 to 5.45, and it has been overtaken by Newham and Waltham Forest. It therefore fell from 11th to 13th among all London boroughs. Unless significant improvements are made, it is likely to fall further next year.

Hardly any bus priority lanes or school streets were added in the past year, and with delays to schemes in Nine Elms, the same was true of protected cycle tracks. Reported collision rates for people walking and cycling have begun to edge upward, underscoring the need to focus on safety. So action is needed to reverse these downward trends