News Articles Archive - Page 9 of 153 - Cross River Partnership

Cross River Partnership recently had the privilege of hosting researchers from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Chuo Fukken Consultants Co., Ltd. for a site visit to the undercroft of Waterloo Station, where we showcased the space and shared our vision for the Waterloo Freight Hub.

The visit was a valuable opportunity to exchange insights on how under-used spaces can be repurposed to support the logistics sector in the context of growing demand, limited space in cities for goods consolidation and the need to create more sustainable alternatives to freight movements.

The visit highlighted the shared pressures on the logistics sector in both London and Japanese cities, emphasising the importance of sharing innovative ideas to implement more efficient and sustainable solutions.

CRP’s Waterloo Freight Hub 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).

CRP is pleased to share that we are a year into our Horizon EU-funded project, Just Streets, which aims to create more people-friendly urban environments.

This year has been both dynamic and fruitful, and we would like to highlight our key achievements:

Partnerships Established: We’ve partnered with Camden Town Unlimited to enhance walking and cycling, Harley Street BID for a new parklet, and the London Borough of Lambeth to improve school streets.

Stakeholder Engagement: We held partner meetings that included valuable site visits to Turin and Amsterdam. We and our technical partner, University of Westminster, recently welcomed more than 30 European visitors from the project to London to better understand our interventions.

Communication Campaigns: We launched three campaigns to promote actions for street justice, walking low-pollution routes, and child-friendly streets.

Community Solutions: Our delivery partners have begun co-creation sessions with local stakeholders to ensure solutions meet community needs.

Impact Monitoring: We established baseline monitoring at intervention sites to measure the future impact of our initiatives.

We look forward to launching the completed projects in the first half of 2025, making strides toward transforming our streets into spaces for everyone.

On 14th November, CRP attended the Pathways to Zero Emission Freight event hosted by the Clean Cities Campaign. The session delved into London’s potential to transition to zero-emission freight, featuring insights from their newly published report.

UK van emissions have risen by 63% since 1990, with an additional 1 million vans on the road in the last decade. To drive change, Clean Cities Campaign suggests zero-emission zones could be a key catalyst for electric vehicle (EV) uptake.

A lively panel discussion highlighted the need for innovative solutions:

Incentives: Just Economics suggests second-hand EV subsidies and targeted scrappage schemes to reduce upfront costs.

Infrastructure: Accessible charging points, especially in disadvantaged areas, are crucial. Bookable options were also discussed.

Policy Clarity: Clear timelines and regulations will help businesses plan and invest confidently.

CRP continues to champion low-emission freight initiatives and is ready to collaborate with partners to achieve sustainable solutions for London. Reach out to learn more!

Last week, CRP hosted our final Healthy Streets Everyday II (HSE II) Steering Group Meeting of the calendar year, with BID and local authority partners from the Mayor’s Air Quality Funded 3-year programme.

This was a chance to celebrate all of the excellent work that has been happening through the first 9 months of the programme, and all the ways that our partners have been supporting healthier, greener, more pedestrian and cycle-friendly streets. CRP were also able to share details about upcoming HSE II campaigns and developments to the Healthy Streets Everyday map, which we will be sharing more about in the new year.

We were joined by Holly Smith, Project Manager from the Greater London Authority’s Climate Adaptation Team, who provided an excellent overview of resources, case studies and support available to embed climate adaptation practices in public realm and transport scheme design. This will help our partners to create resilient, green and healthy streets across London, and we hope our partners found this helpful!

Thank you to all partners for joining us. As HSE II develops, we’re thrilled about the innovative projects and collaborations that lie ahead! 

For more information contact CRP Project Lead for Healthy Streets Everyday II, Ross Phillips rossphillips@crossriverpartnership.org. 

It’s been a super start to the Healthy Streets Everyday II (HSE II) programme, CRP’s Mayor’s Air Quality Funded 3-year programme. HSE II will address the issue of over-dependence on private vehicles, and the associated issues of poor Air Quality, Environment, Safety, Health, and Wellbeing. 

We are already seeing some exciting outputs from our partners, who are delivering schemes across London to improve cycling, walking routes, implement school streets, create low emission transport infrastructure and provide more green space.

Some of the outputs that have been delivered already include:

6 School Streets that have been installed, including 2 exemplar school streets, creating safer and more pleasant environments outside of schools by prioritising children, while reducing road danger and improving air quality.

3 new walking routes created across London, to improve pedestrian connectivity and shift more people to walking

Over 150 sq m of green space provided, to reduce pollution exposure of residents and visitors along London’s busy road network and create more vibrant, colourful streets

3 resident focussed shared cargo bikes, to support more people to shift from cars and vans to cycling journeys for journeys to the shops, school or work

Our HSE II partners have already engaged with over 4,000 people as part of initiatives being delivered through the programme.

A huge well done and congratulations to our partners for delivering so much so quickly! As HSE II develops, we’re thrilled about the innovative projects and collaborations that lie ahead! 

For more information contact CRP Project Lead for Healthy Streets Everyday II, Ross Phillips rossphillips@crossriverpartnership.org. 

We are extremely sad to report that Malcolm Haxby MBE, the first Director of CRP, passed away suddenly this September.

Malcolm leaves behind a large and close-knit family.

CRP joined in giving thanks for Malcolm’s life at his very well-attended funeral on 10th October 2024.

Many tributes were paid to Malcolm, citing his extraordinary ability to bring diverse groups of people and organisations together, in order to achieve amazing things.

The number of Malcolm’s professional achievements make them too great to list, but probably the greatest of his achievements were the Golden Jubilee Bridges running between the City of Westminster and the South Bank, London Borough of Lambeth.

We all appreciate the beauty of these bridges every time we are in central London.

Malcolm has left an outstanding legacy, including in the form of the ongoing Cross River Partnership. He was the one who had a vision for collaboration, and who set the partnership up. His convening power continues and grows as CRP flourishes into the future.

Malcolm’s nominated charity was the British Heart Foundation, if anyone would like to make a donation in his honour.

If you would like to pass any condolences on to Malcolm’s wife Maggie and his family, please contact susannahwilks@crossriverpartnership.org in the first instance.

CRP were delighted to join the launch of South Bank & Waterloo Sustains Us in October 2024, led by a number of partners including South Bank BID, WeAreWaterloo, London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and the Mayor of London.

Speakers included:

Mete Coban MBE, The Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy
Giles Goddard, Chair of the Sustains Us Steering Group and Vicar at St John’s Waterloo
Bushra Iqbal, Waterloo Centre Principal, Morley College London
Andrea Zick, Chair of the Harvey Nichols Sustainability Forum
Jackson Bylett, Net Zero Programme Lead, South Bank BID

Speakers shared their thoughts on how we can work together across our community to create a neighbourhood that sustains all across the area.

The project aims to bring everyone in the community together to meet the shared goal of achieving net zero by 2030 through improving energy efficiency, smarter energy systems, improving air quality, improving resilience to climate change and reducing waste. You can see more through the website here: https://sbwsustainsus.org/

It is great to see the huge collaborative effort between residents and communities across the local area. South Bank BID and We Are Waterloo are part of CRP’s Healthy Streets Everyday II programme, our 3-year Mayor’s Air Quality funded programme, that will improve air quality by tackling over-dependence on private vehicles through greening, pedestrian and cycling improvements. We are really excited to be working with them on creating a greener public realm.

For more information contact CRP Project Lead for Healthy Streets Everyday II, Ross Phillips at rossphillips@crossriverpartnership.org

London is celebrating a significant achievement as its Cycleway network expands to over 400 kilometres , a vital step in enhancing sustainable transportation across the city.

According to Transport for London, 27% of Londoners now live within 400 metres of a high-quality cycle route and the capital’s cycle network has more than quadrupled from 90 kilometres in 2016.

This extensive network not only promotes safer cycling but also encourages more residents to choose cycling over driving, contributing to reduced traffic congestion and improved air quality.

This expansion signifies London’s commitment to a greener future, fostering healthier lifestyles and connecting communities. With increased cycling routes, the city is paving the way for a vibrant cycling culture that prioritizes safety and accessibility.

For more details, check out the full article here.

The festive season has officially arrived in London with the Christmas lights illuminating those darker evenings and the cosy traditional markets in full swing!

Here’s a roundup of the some of the exciting activities hosted by CRP Partners to look forward to this holiday season.

Central District Alliance’s Festive Fayre

Step into the magic of the season at Central District Alliance’s Festive Fayre with gift stalls, craft workshops and carols! Book your craft workshops here.

Date: Tuesday 26th – Thursday 28th November 2024

Time: 12pm – 6:30pm

Location: St Giles in the Fields Church, WC2H 8LG

The Fleet Street Quarter Penguin Parade Sculpture Trail

Families and visitors are invited to embark on a fabulous festive adventure to discover 12 adorable penguin sculptures throughout the Quarter all in support of the WWF.

Date: Thursday 14 November 2024 – Thursday 5 January 2025

Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree

Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo have gifted the people of London a Norwegian spruce Christmas Tree as a token of Norway’s gratitude for Britain’s support during the Second World War.

Date: Thursday 5th December 2024 – Monday 6th January 2025

Chalton Street Winter Market

Get ready to experience a magical day filled with a wide variety of stalls, including delicious food, arts and crafts, and family-friendly activities.

Date: Friday 22nd November 2024

Location: Chalton St, London NW1 1JH

Time: 10am – 7pm

Last month, the Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC) released a guide, “Integrating Action on Air Quality & Climate Change”, to help local authorities address climate change and air pollution. The guide outlines how local authorities can work together to reduce the harmful effects of transport, buildings, waste, and procurement.

The guide was contributed to by experts including CRP’s Fiona Coull, Senior Programme Manager, and some of our collaborators such as Ruth Calderwood from the City of London Corporation, Grace Staines from the Port of London Authority, and Tom Parks from London Borough of Camden.

The guide explains the connection between air quality and climate change and their impacts on health and the environment. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration among local authorities to create effective policies tailored to their specific needs.

Additionally, it examines the effects of air pollution, hotspots, and greenhouse gas emissions and measures to mitigate them. It includes numerous case studies and accounts from local authorities and organizations, including our report, “Light Freight: Design Solutions for Thames Freight Infrastructure.”

Archives: News Articles

November Waterloo Freight Hub Site Visit – Japan Delegation

Making Streets More People-Friendly: One Year into Just Streets

Pathways to Zero-Emission Freight: Can London Lead the Way?

Ending the Year with our Healthy Streets Everyday II Partners

Celebrating Healthy Streets Success in 2024

Remembering Malcolm Haxby MBE

South Bank & Waterloo Sustains Us

London’s Cycleway Network Hits 400km Milestone: A Boost for Sustainable Travel

Kickstart the Festive Season

New Guide for Local Authorities on Climate Change and Air Quality