News Articles Archive - Page 2 of 149 - Cross River Partnership

Cross River Partnership (CRP) is thrilled to launch the Waterloo Freight Hub, a transformative 6-month trial delivering parcels across London using zero-emission cargo bikes! This initiative, located under Waterloo Station, will help businesses and residents receive sustainable deliveries at no extra cost while reducing pollution and congestion.

CRP is collaborating with Network Rail, the London Borough of Lambeth, the Department for Transport, London and Continental Railways, and Waterloo Station to transform underused space into a hub for greener logistics. Partnering with Delivery Mates, the hub will receive, sort, and distribute parcels using 10 electrically assisted cargo bikes instead of polluting vans.

Huge thank you to all those in attendance at this week’s launch event and a special thanks to our speakers Mike Putnam, Network Rail Acting Chair, Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, Lambeth Council, Kevin Savage Chief Operating Officer, Delivery Mates and CRP’s Sustainable Transport Manager Ross Phillips!

Why does this matter?

Freight contributes to 25% of London’s transport emissions.

By 2030, parcel deliveries in London could double to 1 billion annually!

Waterloo could become a key hub for rail, road, and river deliveries, shaping the future of clean logistics.

Through funding by Defra, CRP’s Smarter Greener Logistics programme is driving forward innovative solutions for a more sustainable and efficient future in urban logistics.

This trial aligns with major climate goals, including Defra’s clean air targets, the Department for Transport’s decarbonisation plans, Network Rail’s Net Zero 2050 target and the London Borough of Lambeth’s Climate Action Plan, which includes a Net Zero target by 2030.

This pioneering initiative could revolutionize freight transport, creating greener jobs, improving air quality, and making London a more sustainable city.

Read the press release here and visit our Waterloo Freight Hub project page for more.

Stay tuned for updates as we track the impact of this exciting project!

In April, the City of London Corporation will host the inaugural Cities & Lighting Summit. The event, which runs from 23 – 25 April 2025, is organised in partnership with the LUCI Association.

The Summit will consider how urban lighting can help improve well-being and make cities more sustainable and inclusive.

The event will attract key decision-makers from London and cities around the world, as well as leaders in the lighting industry, including designers and suppliers, as well as Developers, the Greater London Authority and London boroughs and BIDs representatives.

Please visit the Summit website for more details, the programme and to register to attend. There will be many fascinating talks including Sarah Gaventa on the Illuminated River: A public art commission project.

Cross River Partnership has long recognised the vital role that lighting plays in cities, as evidenced by our pioneering work on our Light at the End of the Tunnel programme, as well as various reports that we have co-commissioned and authored:

CRP is also considering the role of Lighting in improving safety as part of its Horizon Europe-funded Just Streets programme.

Please do not hesitate to contact the City of London Corporation’s Clarisse Tavin if you have any query about the Summit, or if you wish to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

This Earth Day, April 22nd, 2025, the theme “Our Power, Our Planet” unites us in a powerful call to action: to triple global renewable energy generation by 2030. Earth Action Day is more than a celebration – it’s an invitation to everyone, everywhere to take real steps toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.

How can you get involved? Start by pledging your Earth Action on social media. Whether you choose to reduce plastic waste, plant trees, switch to renewable energy sources, or advocate for stronger environmental policies, every action counts. Use hashtags like #EarthActionDay and #OurPowerOurPlanet to amplify your commitment and inspire others.

Beyond pledging, Earth Action Day encourages individuals, schools, and communities to host or attend events. Organise town halls, rallies, clean-up drives, or educational workshops. Educators can integrate Earth Day lessons into classrooms, empowering students to understand their role in protecting the planet.

Advocacy is also key. Write to political leaders, sign petitions, and demand bold actions to combat climate change. Donations are welcome to support ongoing environmental initiatives.

Together, we have the power to make a difference – not just on Earth Day, but every day. Let’s educate, advocate, and mobilise to ensure a healthier planet for future generations.

Pledge your action today and be part of the global movement!

Learn more about how you can live greener and take action: Earth Day 2025 | Activities & Resources for April 22 – Earth Day

Spring has sprung, and the time for the Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean has arrived!

Between the 21st of March and the 6th of April, millions of #LitterHeroes across communities will be picking up litter across the UK as part of the nation’s biggest large-scale environmental campaign. Last year, more than four million bags of litter were collected!

Litter picking is a simple action which makes a big difference, for communities and for wildlife.

Litter visually taints our streets, parks, beaches and landscapes, and leads to people feeling less pride in their neighbourhood. It can also be mistaken by hungry wildlife as a snack, which can cause choking, airway and stomach obstruction, and ultimately lead to death.

You can support Keep Britain Tidy by pledging as an individual, group, or school, to collect a certain number of bags of litter. It can be as much or as little as you like – every piece of litter collected makes a difference. So far, 417,261 bags have been pledged!

Click here for more information on how you can participate in making Britain cleaner!

CRP is proud to share its recent feature in Logistics Manager Magazine, which highlights our dedication to diversifying and re-organising how freight is currently distributed in the UK.

With 80% of parcels distributed annually reliant on road freight, looking to use the river as a freight resource can support to ease congestion and improve air quality.

Read the feature in full here.

As part of the Defra-funded Smarter Greener Logistics programme, CRP have been working on Pier Information Sheets designed to highlight the potential of key piers along the River Thames to support river freight.

We look forward to sharing these over the coming months!

For more information contact CRP Senior Programme Manager Fiona Coull.

CRP have recently published an informative case study on Traffic Filter Integration with Kerbside Management Technology in Lambeth, as part of the Defra-funded Kerbside Management Trial.

CRP worked with London Borough of Lambeth and Grid Smarter Cities to trial 2 Virtual Loading Bays (VLB) along The Cut, Waterloo, located either side of an existing traffic filter.

Virtual Loading Bays (VLBs) are dedicated spaces at the kerbside that can be pre-booked by participating operators to load and unload goods using the Grid Kerb booking platform.

The trial also incorporated the ability for freight and servicing vehicles to pass through the existing traffic filter at the junction of The Cut and Short Street when they booked the VLBs via the Kerb platform. The aim was to reduce the number of freight and servicing vehicles travelling down smaller residential streets (e.g. Boundary Row), reducing vehicle circulation and emissions, and improving delivery driver efficiency.

Read the case study here.

The Kerbside Management Trial is part of Smarter Greener Logistics (SGL) a Defra-funded project led by Westminster City Council in collaboration with 25 project partners. The project aims to minimise the impact of freight on noise, air quality, traffic and pavement space in London by making improvements across 14 London boroughs and two London Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).

Spring has Sprung! And with that comes more daylight, warmer temperatures, parks and gardens filled with colour and a bit more sunshine (fingers crossed!). All of these are a recipe for spending more time outdoors, enjoying nature whilst walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling.

We have been collating some stories from the Healthy Streets Everyday II (HSE II) partners and the CRP team about their favourite places to spend time outside walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling across London to give you inspiration about where you can spend your Spring.

This all forms part of our Spring Into Action campaign, which will be running throughout March, April and May on CRP’s social media channels.

The HSE II programme, CRP’s Mayor’s Air Quality Funded 3-year programme, will address the issue of over-dependence on private vehicles, and the associated issues of poor Air Quality, Environment, Safety, Health, and Wellbeing. The programme will support more people to walk, wheel, scoot and cycle in greener, less polluted areas in London.

We hope this inspires more of you to find new hidden gems and spend more time outdoors this Spring in London and beyond.

Check CRP’s LinkedIn and X channels for more information!

For more information about this campaign, contact CRP Project Lead for Healthy Streets Everyday II, Ross Phillips.

CRP is delighted to be a stakeholder on the Port of London Authority (PLA) Net Zero Coalition.

The coalition met earlier this month to discuss key topics such as the Net Zero River Plan, and how to encourage modal shift on to the river in terms of logistics.

There were also some interesting presentations by Woods Silver Fleet and Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, who shared learnings and challenges associated with the development of their upcoming electric vessels.

We look forward to the next meeting!

For more information on CRP’s river freight work, visit our Thames Directory here.

This month CRP launched an ambitious Freight Flow Study, outlining actions to make freight logistics in London cleaner, safer, and more efficient.

With freight activity expected to grow in the coming years, CRP’s report sets out a clear pathway to address these challenges and create a logistics system that benefits businesses, residents, and the environment. The study identifies opportunities to encourage the shift to low-emission vehicles, improve freight infrastructure, enhance safety for vulnerable road users, and adopt innovative, data-driven solutions.

Delivered in collaboration with Steer consultants, the report features case studies from the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Hackney, and Ealing, providing real-world insights into the relationship between freight activity and its effects on air quality, congestion, and health.

Read the executive summary here: https://crossriverpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CRP-London-Freight-Flows-Study-Executive-Summary.pdf

Read the full report here: https://crossriverpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CRP-London-Freight-Flows-Study-Full-Report.pdf

CRP’s Freight Flow Study is part of Smarter Greener Logistics (SGL), a Defra-funded project led by Westminster City Council in collaboration with 25 project partners. The project aims to minimise the impact of freight on noise, air quality, traffic and pavement space in London by making improvements across 14 London boroughs and two London Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).

For more information, contact CRP Project Manager Isidora Rivera Vollmer.

Cross River Partnership (CRP) is very pleased to be able to offer consultancy services to any organisation that is interested.

We have been providing Data Analysis and Monitoring Services to South Bank BID for 4 years now, to support their place making and public realm management work. Maybe we could help you too?

CRP’s areas of expertise span:

Decarbonisation and Sustainability
Placemaking and Greening
Strategy Planning
Monitoring and Data Analysis
Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement

Please see our Consultancy webpage for more information: CRP Consultancy Services – Cross River Partnership.

For further information please contact CRP’s Senior Programme Manager Fiona Coull.

Archives: News Articles

CRP Launches Waterloo Freight Hub 6-month Trial

London’s Inaugural Cities and Lighting Summit

Earth Action Day 2025: Our Power, Our Planet

Great British Spring Clean

The Rising Tide of River Freight: CRP Featured in Logistics Manager Magazine

Traffic Filter Integration with Kerbside Management Technology in Lambeth

Let’s Spring Into Action

CRP Attends the Port of London Authorities’ Net Zero Coalition

CRP Launches Ambitious Pan-London Freight Flow Study

Tailored Solutions for Success with CRPs Consultancy Services