Lambeth Council is planning significant changes to the Amesbury Avenue Shopping Parade, SW2, without genuine consultation of the local residents and businesses.

The plans remove all resident parking from this area, including for those living directly above the shops. They risk undermining the viability of the shops, forcing them to close.

This will leave local residents, including those elderly, worse off and more, not less, reliant on cars for their daily needs. We also know from experience that Lambeth will not maintain any new planters introduced.

As local residents and businesses we are not opposed to change, but the proposed scheme is not responding to what the area needs and we are still waiting to be properly consulted. Instead of creating “street spaces where people can socialise and play”, as the proposal suggests, the changes risks inviting anti-social behaviour, ultimately creating an unsafe environment for residents. 

See the draft planned new layout here: https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-09/ref%2097-drawing.pdf 

We petition the Council to abandon the proposed changes to the Amesbury Avenue Shopping Parade, including those set out in the Traffic Management Orders: The Lambeth (Charged-For Parking Places) (Amendment No. *) Order 2024; and The Lambeth (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions (Amendment No. *) Order 2024.

• Note: Individuals signing this petition must be persons residing, studying or working in Lambeth.

UPDATE: Thanks for all the support so far! Our local MP Steve Reed OBE visited our area on 28 February 2025 and agreed to raise our concerns with Lambeth Council. However, the Council signed a temporary traffic order on the very same day, allowing the road to be closed for the works. We are therefore doing a final push with this petition before we formally send it to the Council.

UPDATE 2: On 26 March 2025 we sent the petition sign ons thus far to Lambeth's Mayor, our MP and Cllr, but we are keeping it open as we have not yet had a response and there is some bad news. 

The day before local residents and businesses received a note through the door that works will start 31 March and continue for 12 weeks - fully blocking the area for this time, with less than a week’s notice! The local community has not been informed what the final plan is and what support will be provided to local businesses (as the 2023 report on this scheme recommended) - we suspect there will be none. 

It is now obvious that Lambeth is pushing ahead with this no doubt costly scheme on a permanent basis, without a temporary trial phase. Our local businesses and residents are in despair at this blatant disregard for our views and engagement!

Despite trying to get the Councillors attention for almost a year, we are still met with silence.

If you have time to spare, we urge you to write directly to Cllr Chowdhury RChowdhury@lambeth.gov.uk, Cllr Liz Atkins LAtkins@lambeth.gov.uk, Steve Reed MP steve.reed.mp@parliament.uk, and Lambeth's Mayor John-Paul Ellis mayoroflambeth@lambeth.gov.uk to raise concerns about this ill thought through and costly plan, causing major long-term disruption, and most importantly without any consideration for or genuine involvement of those of us living and working here.