News Articles Archive - Cross River Partnership

The CRP Team would like to wish all of our CRP Members, Funders and Delivery Partners an extremely Merry Christmas!

It has been a challenging year, in so many ways, but as the saying goes, ‘Necessity is the Mother of Invention’.

Along with our partners, CRP has continued to:

Save Costs
Drive Efficiencies
Access New Funds
Grow Consultancy Services
Reach New Audiences
Embrace New Technologies
Cut Across Sectors, and most importantly of all,
INNOVATE!

CRP and its partners can look forward to a healthy 2026, with delivery on new and existing programmes continuing apace:

Waterloo Freight Hub funding and awards submissions
Healthy Streets Everyday II Year 2 completion
JUST STREETS finalisation of pilot interventions
Kick-starting new Horizon-funded Streets-15 programme
Setting up additional Micro Hub Trials
Refresh of South Bank BID data analysis consultancy reports

Thank you for all the support we have been afforded!

We look forward to seeing you in 2026!

CRP are delighted to have joined Transport Planning Society as a Public Sector Partner!

The Transport Planning Society (TPS) is a professional membership organisation that promotes best practice and innovation in transport planning.

As a public-private partnership committed to promoting sustainable and active travel, we are keen to deepen our engagement within the transport sector both at a local and national level.

We recognise the importance of collaboration, innovation, and shared learning in driving forward meaningful change in how people move through our communities. By joining this membership, we look forward to the opportunities to connect with like-minded organisations, contribute to sector-wide initiatives, and stay at the forefront of best practices in transport planning.

Interested in learning more about TPS or joining the partner programme? Find out more here.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has opened a public consultation on the Third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3), and it’s a key moment for anyone interested in healthier, greener and more accessible travel across England.

The consultation is open now, and responses are encouraged from across the sector by 23:59 on Monday, 15^thDecember 2025.

CWIS3 sets out the Government’s proposed approach for supporting walking, wheeling and cycling over the coming years. It looks at everything from everyday local trips to longer-distance routes, aiming to make active travel a genuine, convenient choice for more people.

The consultation covers priorities such as improving infrastructure design, supporting local authorities to deliver high-quality routes, and ensuring that projects benefit a wide range of communities, including those who currently face barriers to active travel.

This is an important opportunity for councils, community groups, businesses, and residents to share real-world insight. Whether you’re a regular cyclist, someone who wants safer walking routes in your neighbourhood, or an organisation involved in transport planning, your views can help shape future investment and policy direction.

DfT is seeking feedback on proposed objectives, funding approaches, monitoring plans and how active travel can better support broader goals such as decarbonisation, public health and local economic vitality.

If you care about creating safer streets, cleaner air and more inclusive travel options, now’s the time to get involved and make your voice heard (link here)!

Cross River Partnership is proud to share details of the Grow London Local (GLL) Programme, an initiative by London & Partners designed to strengthen local businesses and provide BIDs and local authorities with resources to foster growth and resilience in their communities.

Grow London Local is a powerful resource hub for London’s business community, offering practical tools, networking, and expert guidance to help businesses to start and grow.

Businesses can benefit from a wide range of resources, including regular events, training courses, a free Business Success Check, as well as the offer of 1-2-1 consultation sessions with a GLL Business Support Manager.

The programme covers critical business themes, including Digital, Finance, Funding, Growth, International Trade, Leadership, Legal, Manufacturing and Marketing.

CRP have collated this useful document, providing more information on the service as well as how to register as a provider.

Last month CRP’s Senior Programme Manager Fiona Coull attended The London Assembly Transport Committee to discuss the impact of freight in London and opportunities to encourage sustainability within the sector.

Cross River Partnership has delivered several sustainable freight projects involving river, rail and walking freight, as well as digital kerbside management technology and micro consolidation to support low-emission deliveries.

For example, CRP’s award winning Waterloo Freight Hub Trial involved retrofitting an arch in the under croft of Waterloo Station into a logistics hub. The trial proved that sustainable logistics operations can occur safely in station environments with 20,414 parcels delivered via cargo bikes over a 3-month period, shifting freight trips away from vans. You can see CRP’s full vision for the Waterloo Hub here.

Similarly, CRP’s Digital Kerbside Management Trial explored how dynamic use of the kerbside can enable more efficient deliveries by providing reliable, dedicated delivery space for couriers. The trial of 8 Virtual Loading Bays resulted in 636 km of vehicle milage being saved due to less missed deliveries and re-routing. You can see the full impacts of the trial here.

Consequently CRP’s insights and expertise formed a key part of the assembly’s discussion and we look forward to seeing the outcome of the investigation!

If you would like to understand how CRP can support you with innovative decarbonisation projects, email Fiona Coull or visit our website to see our full consultancy offer here.

COP30—the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC—was held in Belém, Pará, Brazil, at the Hangar Convention Centre from 10^th – 21^st November 2025. The conference convened nearly 200 governments, tens of thousands of delegates, and a wide array of civil society, business, Indigenous, and youth representatives.

COP 30 Goal: Accelerate global climate action and keep the 1.5°C target within reach.

Key Outcomes

COP30 delivered a series of practical measures aimed at turning climate pledges into real-world action:

Adaptation Finance: Countries agreed to triple funding by 2035—about US$120 billion annually toward a US$300 billion goal.
Global Goal on Adaptation: 59 new indicators adopted to track progress.
Nature Protection: Launch of Tropical Forests Forever Facility with US$6.7 billion pledged, aiming for US$125 billion.
Just Transition: New mechanism to support workers and vulnerable communities.
Other Milestones:
- Global Implementation Accelerator
- Belém Mission to 1.5°C
- First formal dialogue on trade and climate
Inclusivity: Indigenous Peoples gained unprecedented recognition.

What This Means for CRP
Expect stronger emphasis on adaptation projects, equitable transitions, and nature-based solutions—all core to CRP’s mission. 2026 will be about turning these frameworks into real-world impact, and CRP is ready to play its’ part through collaborative project delivery

Decarboniation & Sustainability
Placemaking & Greening
Strategy Planning & Engagement
Monitoring & Data Analysis
Partnership & Stakeholder Coordination

Find out more about CRP’s projects and consultancy services: https://crossriverpartnership.org/projects/crp-consultancy-services/

Do you live or work in London? We want to hear your views on road safety and health risks in the city.

The Just Streets consortium is conducting a short Road Safety and Health Perception survey to understand how Londoners experience their streets.

The survey is anonymous, confidential and for research only. You can answer as a driver, cyclist or pedestrian – and repeat from another perspective if you wish.

⏱️ It only takes about 5 minutes, and your voice matters.
👉 https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/pt1UFTGTD7 or scan:

Your feedback will help inform future improvements and contribute to important research on making urban spaces safer and healthier for everyone.

Please share this survey with friends, colleagues, and local groups. The more responses we receive, the stronger the impact we can make together.

After nine years, CRP has closed clickcollect.london, our website that encouraged Londoners to use local collection services for online shopping. The decision reflects how far the city has come: Click & Collect is now a normal part of shopping habits, making it easier for people to choose a more sustainable way to receive deliveries.

When we launched Click & Collect as part of our award-winning Clean Air Better Business programme funded by the Mayor of London’s Air Quality Fund, the goal was simple: reduce unnecessary van trips caused by missed home deliveries, which contribute to congestion and poor air quality. By normalising this convenient and environmentally friendly way to receive parcels, we’ve helped make sustainable delivery the new standard.

Today, Click & Collect is part of everyday life. Retailers and consumers alike have embraced it, meaning there’s no longer a need to actively promote the service. This is a win for cleaner air, fewer emissions, and a more efficient city.

And CRP’s work doesn’t stop here. Through projects like Smarter Greener Logistics and our current award-winning Waterloo Logistics Hub, we’re helping businesses adopt zero-emission vehicles, cargo bikes, and smarter delivery solutions. Together, these efforts keep London moving toward a healthier, greener future

After a very long lead-in, the Autumn Budget-2025 finally happened on 26^th November 2025.

According to the Financial Times’ Chris Giles:

The government is working to achieve economic stability
The rapidly ageing population is presenting huge challenges
The current budget deficit will be higher every year up to 2029-30
It is hard to improve public services while also addressing this

There is still the need to get confidence back, from people and businesses, to move into a virtuous circle of progress.

CRP will continue to work with its public, private and community partners to move towards green and sustainable growth, within the parameters set by the Autumn Budget.

We are delighted to announce CRP and its’ partners have been awarded the CiTTi Last Mile Logistics Award in recognition of the innovative and sustainable Waterloo Freight Hub Trial.

The project involved cross-sector collaboration led by CRP, alongside Network Rail, the London Borough of Lambeth, the Department for Transport, London and Continental Railways, Delivery Mates, Steer, Intermodality and Waterloo Station. Funding for the development of the project has come from Defra, through CRP’s Air Quality Funded programme, Smarter Greener Logistics, and, Impact on Urban Health.

The Waterloo Freight Hub Phase 1 Trial took place from March – July 2025 in an arch in Waterloo Station’s undercroft. The trial saw huge benefits, including:

Over 20,000 parcels delivered
Over 4,600 km travelled by cargo bikes
Over 2,500 kg of CO2 Emissions Saved

CRP is proud that these significant environmental, economic and social benefits have been recognised by the CiTTi Awards. This Phase 1 trial will serve as a proof of concept to scale and adapt the hub to meet future ecommerce demand and change how goods are moved across Britain.

The long-term vision for the project is to develop a much larger, multi-operator, and multi-modal sustainable freight hub, operating middle mile deliveries into Waterloo Station by rail, road and river, and outbound deliveries by low emission vehicles such as electrically-assisted cargo bikes.

For more information on the Waterloo Freight Hub, please email Ross Phillips on rossphillips@crossriverpartnership.org

Archives: News Articles

Merry Christmas & What’s Next for 2026

CRP Joins Transport Planning Society

Have Your Say: DfT Launches Consultation on the Third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy

Grow London Local: Empowering London’s Business Growth

CRP Advises the London Assembly Transport Committee

COP30: What Happened and Why it Matters

Help Shape Safer, Healthier Streets in London

Click & Collect: From Trial to Transformation

Autumn Budget Update

CRP Wins CiTTi Award for Innovative Waterloo Freight Hub Trial