Deptford Church Street - Lewisham's newest cycle lane already in use
The protected cycle route is due to be completed in November, but cyclists couldn't wait to start using it.
Lewisham council's new project has created a segregated cycle lane, along with upgrading existing bus stops to floating bus stops, and new planting designed to reduce surface flooding. Consultation took place at the start of 2024.
Lewisham Cyclists, the local group of the London Cycling Campaign, said: “We are delighted to see the imminent completion of the Deptford Church Street (DCS) cycle track and public realm improvements implemented by Lewisham Council.
"This road used to dislocate the local community and was a hazardous motor-vehicle dominated dual-carriageway.
"For cyclists this is the first section of the proposed 'Lewisham Spine' (Deptford to Downham) segregated cycling provision to be completed, and we hope to see plans being developed soon to extend this safe cycling provision further south through the borough.”
Northbound cyclists will have to cross the road three different times, while southbound cyclists will be able to stick along the same side of the road, with advice to leave the cycle lane for the final block and join road traffic if heading straight or right at Deptford Broadway.
Plans for Creekside
The new cycle lane is well positioned for serving new developments springing up in Deptford, including the Tidemill site, which will provide 209 homes, Wavelengths /Better Leisure Centre and Ferranti Park.
Creekside, which runs almost in parallel, has also seen extensive development, with further plans approved for Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) at the site of the Art Hub, despite local concerns. Planning applications have been submitted for the Bird’s Nest pub.
Creekside has painted bike markings on the road indicating shared road space, but no protected cycle lanes.
Lewisham Cyclists said: "Regarding Creekside we still believe this should be ultimately filtered at its junction with DCS, dramatically improving the lived environment in Creekside but also simplifying the junction with DCS.
"However we recognise that the Council may need to assess the impact of the remodelling of DCS before consulting on any further plans for Creekside.”
Onwards connections
The north of Deptford Church Street connects neatly to Cycleway 4, providing a protected turn with a traffic signal to join the east-west dedicated path that runs to Tower Bridge in the west, and to Greenwich foot tunnel in the east.
Less successful is the south of Deptford Church Street, where going east the cycle lane peters out in just half a block, in the middle of Deptford Broadway, while it has six lanes for vehicular traffic. Going west there is no cycling provision on New Cross Road.
Future plans for cycle lanes - the Lewisham spine
A Lewisham council spokesperson said: "We want Lewisham to be one of the easiest and safest places to cycle in London, where cycling is a natural and convenient choice of transport for all.
“More people cycling brings benefits for us all, as congestion and pollution decrease."
Asked about further developments, they said: “Any future plans for further cycle links will be in line with our Active Travel Strategy, which we have recently gone out for consultation on.”
The Active Travel Strategy ranks the "Lewisham Spine", which includes Deptford Church Street but also Bromley Road, eighth in prioritisation out of 21 identified potential active travel corridors.
Lewisham Cyclists is campaigning for the council to progress Lewisham spine and has three proposals for cycle lanes:
- Deptford to Lewisham via Brookmill Road and Thurston Road:
The group argue "there is ample carriageway space for segregated cycling facilities and they are council-owned roads".
They point out that the route is already a "heavily used cycle commuter route" and that the planned Lewisham Retail Park redevelopment will bring increased construction traffic.
But they say the council is delaying work on the route, citing the undetermined impacts of the proposed St Johns and Tanners Hill Healthy Neighbourhood programme, due to be implemented in 2026. Lewisham Cyclists argue that this is "overly cautious".
- Molesworth Street
The group want to see the existing interim cycle track replaced with a permanent solution.
"Transport for London (TfL) and Lewisham council need to agree on the detailed design in the light of the planned Lewisham Shopping Centre redevelopment.
But we believe it needs to be implemented well in advance of that project, to provide safer cycling now and also during construction."
- Lewisham Library to Lewisham hospital
Lewisham Cyclists describe this section of road as " very hazardous".
They believe that a "bi-directional cycle track is feasible" using the road space already allocated to the current interim cycle track.
They report that they have shared a proposed high-level design with the council who were "supportive", but add "we need Tfl to come on board as it is predominantly their road".
In 2025, Lewisham ranked last of inner London Boroughs for protected cycle track in the Healthy Streets ranking, with its percentage unchanged in three years. The results showed only 2% of journeys in the borough were taken by bike.
But on a recent sunny September morning, it was clear that Deptford Church Street cycle lane, or what exists of it so far, was already well in use by many cyclists.
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