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If you’ve walked from Waterloo station to attractions on the South Bank like the Southbank Centre, BFI Southbank and National Theatre, there’s every chance you’ve passed down Concert Hall Approach. Leading up to Royal Festival Hall, it’s a slightly chaotic passage that sees crowds of pedestrians navigate a road also often used by taxis and coaches.
But Concert Hall Approach won’t be so confusing for much longer. Lambeth Council has revealed plans to pedestrianise the road, thereby improving access for pedestrians and cyclists.
The road’s pedestrianisation is the latest part of a project dubbed the ‘Spine Route Masterplan’, which the council published in 2023. The ‘South Bank Spine Route’ is the name given to the roads behind the South Bank linking riverside venues with Waterloo and its surrounding area. The masterplan aims to make the route safer for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to reduce traffic, improve air quality and generally make the area greener.
According to London expert IanVisits, around 26,000 people walk down Concert Hall Approach every day – so the upcoming pedestrianisation will impact a heck of a lot of people. This phase of the Spine Route Masterplan will also see a zebra crossing installed on Belvedere Road, which runs perpendicular to Concert Hall Approach.
Commenting on the new changes to the South Bank Spine Route, Lambeth Council Deputy Leader Councillor Rezina Chowdhury said: ‘This is a significant step in realising Lambeth Council’s vision of a South Bank that is safe and accessible for everyone.
‘The South Bank is the jewel in Lambeth’s crown, but we want everyone to be welcome and feel confident moving around. That is why we have been working closely with the South Bank community to design a scheme that balances space for people, while ensuring the businesses and institutions on the South Bank are supported.’
So, when exactly will we all be able to walk down a delightfully vehicle-free Concert Hall Approach? Work on the pedestrianisation project is expected to start this month and be completed by spring 2025.
Time Out and pedestrianisation in London
The South Bank isn’t the only London area getting more pedestrian-friendly. On Time Out we recently covered how Camden High Street will go car-free in an 18-month trial. Plus, in UK-wide news: did you see that Bristol could ban cars from its city centre?
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