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South Circular Road, London

Coordinates:51°26′26″N0°06′35″W/ 51.4405°N 0.1098°W/51.4405; -0.1098
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South Circular Road
See adjacent text
The route of the South Circular Road in Greater London, with theNorth Circular RoadandWoolwich Ferry
Route information
Length20.5 mi[1](33.0 km)
Major junctions
FromWoolwich
Major intersections
ToSouth Ealing
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
Road network

TheSouth Circular Road(formally theA205and often simply called theSouth Circular) insouth London,England, is a major road that runs from theWoolwich Ferryin the east to theChiswickFlyover in the west viaEltham,Lee Green,Catford,Forest Hill,Dulwich,Tulse Hill,Clapham Common,Clapham Junction,Wandsworth,Putney,Barnes,MortlakeandKew Bridge.Together with theNorth Circular Roadand Woolwich Ferry, it makes a complete ring-road aroundCentral Londonand is a former boundary of theUltra Low Emission Zone.The South Circular is largely a sequence of urban streets joined together, requiring severalat-grade turns,unlike the mostly purpose-made carriageways of the North Circular. As a result, it is frequently congested.

Originally planned as a new-build route across South London, construction of the first section of the South Circular nearElthambegan in 1921 to a high-quality specification. The remainder of the road was supposed to be of a similar standard but it was repeatedly delayed, and the current route was allocated in the late 1930s to existing urban streets instead. Despite several proposals to either upgrade the road or replace it with a parallel motorway, there has been little change since the route was first planned and most of the road is still urban streets. The South Circular has received sustained criticism for congestion and pollution and is one of the least popular roads in Britain.

Route

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Brownhill Road inCatford

The South Circular is 20.5 miles (33.0 km) long. The majority of the road issingle carriageway,one lane each way, aside from a small section ofdual carriagewaynear theWoolwich Ferry.It is a primary road for its entire length.[1]The route runs closer to central London compared to the more distant North Circular.

Woolwich–Clapham

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The South Circular Road starts just south of the ferry terminal where theA2204Ferry Approach meets the main east–west road through Woolwich, theA206.[1]It heads south, climbing up John Wilson Street, a section of dual carriageway, until it meets Grand Depot Road and becomes single carriageway throughWoolwich Commonand Academy Road past the formerRoyal Military Academy.The route continues south to theA2at agrade separatedjunction—one of only two on the route—and continues southwesterly as a dual carriageway, crossing Eltham Road (A210) and Sidcup Road (A20). At the junction with Burnt Ash Hill the road becomes urban single carriageway again, which it remains the case for most of the remainder of the route.[1][2]

The first section of the single carriageway is Saint Mildreds Road; then, shortly after passing under the railway line, it is Brownhill Road due west all the way to theCatfordgyratory systemwhich crosses theA21to follow Catford Road past the formerCatford Stadium,and a medley of suburban roads towardsForest HillandHorniman Museum,Dulwich Common andDulwich College,Tulse HillandBrixton HilltoClapham Common.[1][3]

Clapham–Kew

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Kew Bridgeis at the western end of the South Circular

Beyond the common, the South Circular merges with theA3London to Portsmouth road for two miles, travelling alongWandsworth High Streetand passing the oldRam Brewery.AtWest Hillthe routes diverge, with the A205 going north-west along Upper Richmond Road, pastPutney Leisure Centreand the south end ofBarnes Commonand the home ground ofRosslyn Park F.C.,then along Upper Richmond Road West, before turning north atEast Sheenonto Clifford Avenue.[1]

The road then crosses theA316Great Chertsey Road, passing theNational Archives,Kew Green,and overKew Bridge.It ends at theChiswick Roundabout,which is the junction for the M4 and the A406North Circular Road.[1][4]

History

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Early plans

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A short part of the South Circular Road is a relatively fast dual carriageway road. Early 20th century plans called for the entire route to be this standard.

The South Circular Road was planned by the Ministry of Transport in the early 20th century as part of a general programme of traffic improvements across London.[5]In 1903, a proposal for new approach roads was submitted to theRoyal Commission on London Traffic,but was rejected. The Road Board was formed in 1910 to address traffic issues, which led to the London Arterial Road Conferences in 1913–14 that revived the earlier plans. Progress was halted because of the war, but resumed in 1920, when it was hoped it would find work for demobilised soldiers.[6]

The first section nearWoolwichwas under construction by 1921, as it ran on open land that was easy to purchase, but plans for the remainder of the route had not yet been decided and there were delays due tocompulsory purchasingof properties.[7][8]In 1925,The Timesannounced a replacement bridge for theWoolwich Ferrywas planned as part of the South Circular project to tie in with the East Ham and Barking Bypass (now theA13).[9]A significant amount of new housing had been built along the route of the South Circular since the original 1903 plans, and building costs had risen because of labour and because of further demolition required.[6]In 1927, the Governors ofDulwich Collegeformally objected to the road as it would put the Memorial Library right next to a main road and remove part of the college green.[10]

A short section from Well Hall Road to Eltham Road had been completed by 1930, aside from a bridge underneath the Hither Green – Dartford railway, and the road had been built as far west as Burnt Ash Hill by the middle of the decade.[11][12]Sir Charles Bressey'sHighway Development Survey(also known as the Bressey Report), published in 1937, showed a 15-mile (24 km)-long South Circular that would have a new-build section nearWandsworth Bridge(then being rebuilt) but otherwise be a series of online improvements to existing roads.[13]

Abercrombie redevelopment

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SirPatrick Abercrombiewas frustrated by the lack of progress, and in 1933 said "There is not a single complete Ring Road in the County or Region of London".[14]Plans for an improved South Circular were revisited as part of Abercrombie'sCounty of London Planof 1943, as the southern half of one of severalring roadsaround the capital.[15]Abercrombie designated it as the "C Ring" (the third ring out from the city centre); however, the high-quality road was never built and the semi-circular route was assigned to existing roads through the southern suburbs;[14]these roads retain their historic names. The current recognised route of the South Circular was created by local motoring organisations putting up strategically placed signposts to direct traffic.Sir Richard Sharples,then MP forSutton and Cheam,felt this was inadequate and complained that "I do not think that the South Circular Road could be said to exist at all."[16]

Ringway 2

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In the 1960s, Abercrombie's plans were revived by theGreater London Council(GLC) as theLondon RingwaysPlan which proposed the construction of a series of motorways in and around London to control traffic congestion. The existing South Circular route was recognised as being unsuitable for upgrading and a new motorway,Ringway 2,was planned for construction further south.[17]

Because of the destruction required and cost involved in the proposed plans the majority of the Ringway Plans had stagnated by 1973. However, localMembers of Parliament(MPs), includingToby Jessel,MP forTwickenham,complained the project should not be cancelled, as the existing South Circular was completely unacceptable to traffic.[17]The plans were scrapped after Labour won theGLC electionthat year.[18]

Later plans

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In 1985, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry proposed a £300m partial replacement for the South Circular that would have seen a dual-carriageway built over existing suburban railway lines betweenBarnesandWandsworth Bridge,andWandsworth CommontoNine Elms.[19]The Government announced a large-scale upgrade of the South Circular in the 1989white paperRoads for Prosperity,but it was cancelled the following year after a petition signed by 3,500 local residents. In addition to the proposed property demolition around Tulse Hill, the petition complained that the road's course conveniently avoided a house belonging to then-Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcherhalf a mile away.[20][21]

Traffic

[edit]
The South Circular Road nearCatfordsuffers from regular traffic congestion, despite being ared route.

The South Circular Road has long been the target of criticism over its poor capacity and lack of improvement schemes. MPs have dismissed the road as "a collection of signposts"[22]and "not so much a coherent through route".[23]In 1969, the chairman of theGreater London Councilplanning and transportation committee called the South Circular "a joke".[24]Two years later, Jessel reported it could take over an hour to travel the route end to end, a little over 20 miles.[25]

The whole of the South Circular is ared route,allocated to roads that together make up over 30% of traffic in London. This prohibits any stopping or loading.[26][27]Some sections of the road through theborough of Lewishamhave extensivebus lanes.Their appearance is controversial; a 2006 resident survey produced mixed results, with people believing there were either too many or not enough.[28]

In 1988, a single road closure (resulting from a gas leak on a side road in Wandsworth) caused severe congestion along the entire South Circular. A representative from Scotland Yard's Central Communications complex said the inadequate design of the road was indicative of several single points of failure in the London road network.[29]

The South Circular has been criticised for its poor air quality and pollution. This affects drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, all of which regularly travel along the road.[30]A 2007 report in theDaily Telegraphsaid it was the eighth worst road in Britain.[31]In December 2020, pollution from the South Circular was ruled to be a factor in the death of 9 year oldElla Roberta Kissi-Debrah.[32]

ULEZ

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On 25 October 2021, the South Circular became the boundary of the LondonUltra Low Emission Zone(ULEZ), although it is not included in it. Vehicles travelling inside the zone and not meeting key exhaust emission standards will need to pay a daily charge of £12.50 for cars, vans and motorcycles, and £100 for coaches, HGVs and buses.[33][34]The zone expanded beyond this to cover the whole of Greater London on 29 August 2023.[35]

Future

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A task force was set up in July 2013 by the Mayor of LondonBoris Johnsonto look at improvements to the London road network, including the South Circular andNorth Circular.The plans included putting the road in a series of tunnels. This would free up space on the surface, providing public space and extensive cycle routes and improving the linkage of existing communities currently severed by the busy road.Caroline Pidgeon,deputy chair of the London Assembly's Transport Committee, responded, "It doesn't make sense and it won't add up – [there's a] £30bn estimate, but I'm sure it'll cost at least double that, and the reality is we'll lose homes around these roads and so on."[36]

See also

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References

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Citations

[edit]
  1. ^abcdefg"A205".Google Maps.Retrieved16 September2016.
  2. ^"Roads Review – what role for trunk roads in England?".Department for Transport.23 October 2008.Retrieved15 May2019.
  3. ^"Horniman Museum and Gardens – History, Travel, and accommodation information".Britain Express.Retrieved21 January2019.
  4. ^Royle, Anthony (24 June 1982)."Orders of the Day – Heavy Lorries".Hansard.Retrieved15 May2019.
  5. ^Hart 1976,p. 74.
  6. ^abJeffreys, Rees (5 April 1927)."New Arterial Roads".The Times.Retrieved16 September2016.
  7. ^"Road Construction".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).6 June 1921.Retrieved18 August2015.
  8. ^"By-Pass Roads (Eltham to Welling)".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).1 July 1924.Retrieved18 August2015.
  9. ^"New London Bridges".The Times.23 January 1925. p. 13.Retrieved16 September2016.
  10. ^"South Circular Road".The Times.24 October 1927. p. 9.Retrieved16 September2016.
  11. ^"South Circular Road, Woolwich".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).3 December 1930.Retrieved18 August2015.
  12. ^"South Circular Road".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).6 December 1933.Retrieved18 August2015.
  13. ^"Bressey Report".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).20 July 1938.Retrieved26 August2015.
  14. ^abHart 1976,p. 75.
  15. ^Bressey, Charles (16 July 1943)."London of Tomorrow".The Spectator.Retrieved26 August2015.
  16. ^"Roads, London (Development Plan)".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).7 April 1955.Retrieved26 August2015.
  17. ^ab"London Motorway Box".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).20 March 1973.Retrieved26 August2015.
  18. ^Young, John (5 July 1975)."Crosland statement may end road doubts".The Times.Retrieved16 September2016.
  19. ^Baily, Michael (23 March 1985)."£300m plan to build trunk road over railways".The Times.p. 2.Retrieved16 September2016.
  20. ^Dynes, Michael (27 March 1990)."London roads plan 'scrapped'".The Times.Retrieved16 September2016.
  21. ^Fraster, John (28 February 1990)."South Circular Road".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).Retrieved9 January2017.
  22. ^"New Roads add to Congestion".New Scientist:5. 25 December 1986.Retrieved18 August2015.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^Weinreb et al. 2008,p. 851.
  24. ^"South circular road 'a joke'".The Times.6 February 1969. p. 4.Retrieved16 September2016.
  25. ^"Motorways, London".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).15 December 1971.Retrieved27 August2015.
  26. ^"Rules of Red Routes".Transport for London.Retrieved9 January2017.
  27. ^"Pan London Red Routes"(PDF).Transport for London. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 29 March 2017.Retrieved9 January2017.
  28. ^Report of the Environment Select Committee's South Circular Investigation(PDF)(Report). Lewisham London Borough Council. March 2006. p. 5.Retrieved9 January2017.
  29. ^"Traffic nightmare returns to haunt London".The Times.6 December 1988.Retrieved16 September2016.
  30. ^Scott, Jenny (5 April 2014)."Are these the worst ring roads in England?".BBC News.Retrieved16 September2016.
  31. ^"M25 Voted Worst Road in Britain".The Daily Telegraph.22 October 2007.Retrieved17 September2016.
  32. ^"Air pollution contributed to death of nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah, landmark ruling finds".The Independent.16 December 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 24 May 2022.Retrieved16 December2020.
  33. ^"London Mayor confirms Ultra-Low Emission Zone will start in 2019".www.fleetnews.co.uk.
  34. ^"ULEZ: The politics of London's air pollution".BBC News.19 October 2021.Retrieved4 October2022.
  35. ^"ULEZ Expansion 2023".Transport for London.Retrieved12 May2023.
  36. ^"London roads £30bn plan unveiled".BBC News.10 July 2013.

Sources

[edit]
  • Hart, Douglas (1976).Strategic Planning in London: The Rise and Fall of the Primary Road Network.Elsevier.ISBN978-1-483-15548-7.
  • Weinreb, Ben; Hibbert, Christopher; Keay, Julia; Keay, John (2008).The London Encyclopedia.Pan MacMillan.ISBN978-1-4050-4924-5.
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