Town Centre Approach South West

“[I appreciate] the attempts to plant flower boxes and trees – this is really important. Would like more parks and greenspaces.” – South Woodford resident

Town centres like South Woodford rely on strong connections to their local neighbourhoods to thrive. Approach routes into the town centre from surrounding residential streets can tend to prioritise car traffic. For example, the junction of Glebelands Avenue and Cleveland Road appears to include an extraneous filter lane, which isolates an island of public realm.

 The below aspirations typify an approach which could be used to improve small green spaces around South Woodford.

 This area and others like it could be improved to address local priorities by:

• Supporting walkable routes within the neighbourhood.
• Enhancing the green environment.
• Protecting the area’s family-friendly character.

Improvements and new development in this area could:

• 10.1 Movement: Expand green space and pedestrian public realm to incorporate redundant vehicle infrastructure, in this case, by removing the filter lane between Glebelands Avenue and Cleveland Road.
• 10.2 Movement: Improve pedestrian access, in this case, by introducing a raised table at the junction of Cleveland Road and George Lane to prioritise pedestrian movement.
• 10.3 Nature: Enhance biodiversity, in this case, through varied planting within the new pocket park.
• 10.4 Public Space: Create new active green space, such as a pocket park with play-on-the-way apparatus and seating.