LONDON BOROUGH OF RICHMOND UPON THAMES
REPORT TO: Transport and Air Quality Committee
DATE: 8 September 2025
REPORT OF: Interim Director of Place
TITLE OF DECISION Richmond upon Thames: Transport Strategy 2040 update
WARDS: All wards
KEY DECISION? YES IN COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAMME? YES
For general release
1. MATTER FOR CONSIDERATION
1.1 In June 2024, the Committee approved the development of the Borough’s first long term, co-created Transport Strategy. This paper notes the results of detailed public consultation and the remaining steps to the Strategy being published by Spring 2026.
2. RECOMMENDATIONS
That Committee
2.1 note the results of public engagement on the development of the Council’s Transport Strategy 2040.
2.2 approve and consider areas of priority for inclusion in the Strategy as outlined in section 5.
2.3 note the next steps leading to the publication of the Transport Strategy 2040 in early 2026.
3. BACKGROUND
3.1 The Council is required by the Greater London Authority Act 1999 to have a statutory Local Implementation Plan (LIP) setting out how it will help to deliver the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy at a local level. The LIP looks to the short and medium term, focussing on locally funded highway and transport improvements that support active and
sustainable travel, and cleaner air. It was agreed by the Committee last year that the Council should develop its own distinct Transport Strategy which looks beyond this focus and the immediate priorities of the day.
3.2 The Committee noted with concern that much of the key transport infrastructure in the borough is over 100 years old and much of it of Victorian age, which brings with it challenges of lack of capacity, resilience, accessibility and flexibility. As it gets older, maintaining infrastructure to current levels of reliability becomes more expensive; with maintenance budgets often reducing in real terms key parts of the transport system become ever more unreliable. This aging transport system is also proving unable to cope adequately with climate change, and particularly extremes of temperature.
3.3 New rail lines and links, tube extensions and river crossings have been delivered by TfL and central government elsewhere in London where travel choice was already greater, whilst Richmond has been starved of new big ticket or step-change increases in transport infrastructure or capacity.
3.4 The Council’s climate change and transport objectives cannot be achieved by simply continuing to do the same as now or doing more of the same. A step-change in transport infrastructure and service is needed to address transport inequalities and the climate emergency, and to support thriving communities.
3.5 Therefore, it was agreed to produce a Transport Strategy which would be an ambitious attempt to look further into the future than annualised programmes and budgets and beyond single administrations, to unlock big changes over time that will transform the lives of borough residents, support sustainable growth and ensure that the Borough remains a great and inviting place to live, work and visit.
4 CO-CREATION OF THE STRATEGY
4.1 It was agreed that the development of the Strategy would require the widespread involvement of our residents, businesses and stakeholders to help identify the Borough’s long-term needs and aspirations.
4.2 This engagement has included the following
• 25 February: Attendance at Hampton Wick and Teddington Community Conversation
• 26 February: Presented at Voluntary Sector Forum
• 27 February: Commonplace web-based engagement platform opened
• 8 May: Public Forum at Clarendon Hall
• 16 May: Attendance at Ruils Bus Access day at First Bus Depot,
• 22 May: Attended and presented at Ruils’ Richmond Transport and Mobility Forum
• 30 May: Attended Achieving for Children Pride Event
• 31 May: Commonplace web-based engagement platform closed
• 2 June: Presented at Active Travel Advisory Group
• 13 June: Presented Project at Cappella House School for youth
• 14 June: Received feedback from guests at Cargo Bike Fair
5 MAIN FINDINGS FROM PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
5.1 A web-based public engagement platform was open between March and May 2025 attracted 974 pinned comments on a Borough map, and 775 “open” comments that were not necessarily specific to a location. Additionally, 516 people responded to a Council questionnaire.
5.2 The drawing below summaries those things that were mentioned most during the engagement process.
5.3 While the Council’s transport postbag tends to be dominated by those things the Council has direct responsibilities for, such as parking and road safety, it is revealing that the public mention public transport, followed by walking and cycling, far more often when discussing transport strategy as a whole. Of the 775 respondents who made open comments, 38% mentioned buses and 25% mentioned trains – these comments being mainly negative about current bus and rail services. This already points to the impending strategy being focused not only on those matters that the Council can deliver directly but recognising that our residents most want change in areas not directly controlled by the Council – and that the strategy will need to be a force for advocacy and campaigning.
5.4 Given the extent to which public comment on public transport (usually negatively), it is unsurprising that improvements in public transport would result in greater use, as shown below.
5.5 Together, convenience and reliability of the transport network are considered more important than sustainability, safety and affordability, as show in the chart below. This is not to say that sustainability, safety and affordability are not important, but the public first and foremost needs a useable, functioning transport system.
5.6 In respect of online comments that were pinned on a borough map, the concentration and distribution of comments is shown below.
5.7 These pinned comments understandably refer more to site specific highway related matters. The red pins demonstrate unhappiness as per the following chart.
5.8 461 people responded to the question “What would make you walk more?” as per the chart below.
5.9 414 people responded to the question “What would make you cycle more?” as per the chart below.
5.10 A consultation report is appended to this paper, which sets out in more detail specific themes and locations where the public would support transport change. It is noted that a considerable number of comments referred to transport services or roads located outside the wards from which the comment was received – indicating the extent to which journeys are not generally contained wholly within wards or necessarily within the borough. The closure of Hammersmith Bridge to motor traffic, for example, affects travel over a far greater area than the immediate ward. Similarly bus and rail journeys often involve multimodel journeys and access and aggressing buses and stations at both ends of the journey. It is, of course, not possible to prioritise every issue raised during the consultation. It is, however, possible to draw out the following key pillars that should form the basis of the Council’s transport strategy:
(a) the improvement of public transport services, concentrating on improving public transport accessibility in areas where public transport availability is poor;
(b) improving the look and feel of town centres and other local commercial areas though road and transport planning that supports sustainable access
(c) ensuring that areas and locations where large scale development is expected is supported not only by developmentspecific investment in transport but by wider improvement in transport services;
(d) improving the quality of interchange between travel modes;
(e) ensuring that river, rail and road crossings operate effectively and safely for all road users, including working with Network Rail, TfL and neighbouring boroughs to unblock bottlenecks in the transport system – including through the provision of new infrastructure such as additional bridges;
(f) ensuring residents are supported in transitioning to electric vehicles through providing high quality and high quantity charging infrastructure;
(g) supporting more sustainable and safer last mile deliveries, including by supporting better regulation of delivery riders, support for freight consolidation and cargo bikes;
(h) recognising that new and innovative means of transport, included those realised by improvements in communication and automation may bring substantial benefits to our residents;
(i) capitalising on the role that parks, open spaces and the towpath currently play and could play in supporting walking and cycling in safe, car-free environments;
(j) continuing sustained investment in roads to ensure safety for all users and to provide improved cycling, protected from motor traffic where possible
(k) prioritising investment in routes providing most utility to pedestrians in terms of accessing town centres and transport hubs; and that as well as pavement quality, other aspects of the pedestrian experience on these routes will be improved such as safe crossings, lighting and shade
5.11 These pillars will translate into specific proposals for delivery or lobbying. For example, there are a number of rail stations with infrequent services (for example Hampton and Fulwell with two trains per hour during the week and one per hour on Sunday). A number of residents have commented rightly and understandably on the relatively poor level of rail service in the Borough and the need to increase service frequencies at all under-served stations. A second example is that those areas impacted by larger scale development will require specific transport improvement to ensure sustainable growth.
5.12 The consultation mapping exercise will be taken a step further to produce a boroughwide plan identifying those locations where capital investment is required for new infrastructure and where funding is required to enhance or maintain existing infrastructure. Existing assets would be ranked as requiring maintenance or enhancement accordingly, supported by identifying where additional infrastructure is required. This would provide the policy basis to advocate widely for change based on residents’ desires, separating those things requiring direct Council delivery from those requiring cooperation with others.
5.13 The strategy will identify where change would be required of national Government, the Greater London Authority, public transport providers, private companies and individuals. It was noted at the outset that in many cases the solution is unlikely to rest with a single agent of
change, but with complex matrixed relationships and the strategy will identify these agents and ensure that where appropriate the Council is proactive in convening and leading the discussion, and pump-priming the background and supporting activity that will be needed to make change happen. The strategy will represent what residents want in its ambition and not be overly constrained by narrow thinking about immediate funding and capacity.
6. NEXT STEPS
6.1 Subject to the Committee having any views on the scope and content of the Transport Strategy arising from this paper and the consultation, the Transport Strategy will be published in draft form before the end of the year and agreed by the Committee in early 2026.
7. COMMENTS OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE ON THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
7.1 There are no direct financial implications arising from this paper. The cost of developing the Transport Strategy has been estimated to cost up to £10,000 and this will be met from within existing approved revenue budgets.
8. WIDER CORPORATE IMPLICATIONS
8.1 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
8.1 The Council supports measures aimed at improving air quality and encouraging sustainable travel; being closely aligned with the Council’s Air Quality Action Plan and the Richmond Environment and Climate Strategy.
9. BACKGROUND PAPERS
None.
10. CONTACTS
Alexander Sterlin-Altman – Transport Strategy Programme Coordinator a.sterlin-altman@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk
David Tidley – Head of Transport Strategy david.tidley@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk