London's Greenwich approves £650,000 cycle route linking Plumstead to Abbey Wood station

LONDON, Nov 12 — Greenwich Council has formally approved a £650,000 cycle route connecting Plumstead High Street to Abbey Wood station. At the request of police and ambulance services, the scheme will drop physical barriers in favour of camera enforcement so emergency vehicles can pass freely.

The route and the funding

The route runs east from Barth Road near Plumstead High Street, along Blithdale Road, crossing Basildon Road and continuing via Abbey Wood Road towards Wilton Road and Abbey Wood station. The decision was made on Nov. 9 by the council's Cabinet Member for Transport, Climate Change, Waste and Streets and is subject to call-in: the deadline for objections is Nov. 13, and the decision comes into force on Nov. 14 if no one calls it in. The scheme will be funded predominantly through Transport for London's Cycle Network Development funding, supplemented by Section 106 developer contributions.

Barriers out, cameras in

The original plans included physical barriers, but the Metropolitan Police Service and the London Ambulance Service raised concerns about access delays, so the council will install automatic camera enforcement instead, allowing emergency services to pass. A public consultation was held at Plumstead Library Cafe in July, with a proposals overview published in August. Local reporting notes that the approved scheme does not add new cycle parking bays or dockless hire bike bays immediately outside Abbey Wood station.

(Sources: Royal Borough of Greenwich; Murky Depths; South London News.)