The Opposition on Richmond Council welcomes the publication of the Council’s plan for its Transport Strategy 2040 and the extensive public engagement that informed it. However, at the Transport Committee meeting on 8 September 2025, Cllr Andrée Frieze raised concerns that the resulting strategic pillars fail to reflect the priorities and issues raised by residents throughout the consultation process.
Walking and accessibility: an afterthought
Walking is the most common form of travel, yet it is mentioned last in the strategy’s pillars. The strategy fails to address key barriers to walking, such as pavement parking, overhanging vehicles from front drives, unsafe crossovers, poorly placed street furniture, and the lack of dropped kerbs. Most concerning is the near-total absence of any reference to disabled access. A truly inclusive transport strategy must prioritise accessibility for all residents, including those with mobility and sensory challenges.
Cycling: a missed opportunity
Despite widespread support for additional connected and protected cycling lanes, the strategy does not include a dedicated cycling pillar. Instead, cycling is folded into general road improvements, which risks diluting its importance. The consultation data is clear: nearly 30 per cent of respondents said “more protected cycle lanes” would encourage them to cycle more. Residents in every ward, bar one, highlighted the lack of safe cycling infrastructure. This is a borough-wide issue, and it deserves a standalone pillar with clear commitments and funding.
Seasonality and safety: lack of practicality
The strategy’s reference to walking and cycling on towpaths and in parks overlooks practical realities. Such routes are often unusable in winter or after dark due to poor lighting and safety fears. Cycling infrastructure must be safe, direct, and usable all year – not reliant on leisure routes.
Electric Vehicles: misaligned priorities
Electric Vehicles (EVs) have been given their own pillar, yet they were barely mentioned by residents. Only one ward – South Richmond – raised EVs as a priority. In contrast, “safer and separate cycle lanes” received significantly more attention. EVs are not a mode of transport, they are a type of vehicle. EVs do not address congestion, road safety, or the pedestrian experience, and their environmental benefits are limited compared to walking, wheeling, cycling or public transport. Their inclusion as a pillar in the Transport Strategy, rather than within a traffic reduction pillar, is misplaced.
The Opposition urges the Liberal Democrat administration to revisit the Transport Strategy pillars and align them more closely with the consultation findings, calling for:
- Prioritising walking and accessibility, with specific actions to address barriers.
- A dedicated cycling pillar with clear targets and investment.
- Ensuring all infrastructure is safe, inclusive, and usable in all seasons.
- Considering EVs as part of private car use and adopting measures to reduce this mode of transport.
Opposition leader, Cllr Andrée Frieze says: “This Transport Strategy is described by the Lib Dem administration as a co-production with residents. Yet, the pillars they have chosen as the framework for the Strategy ignore the overwhelming views of respondents. I continue to push them to reassess the pillars to make them more reflective of residents’ wishes.”
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact:
Cllr Andrée Frieze, Leader of the Opposition
