A road long associated with speeding and collisions is among several locations set to benefit from £6.9million awarded to Croydon Council from Transport for London in response to the borough’s Local Implementation Plan (LIP), with another £2.1million coming from Section 106 developer contributions.

LIPs are required to be produced by London boroughs in line with the Mayor of London’s transport strategy.

Over the next two years the council says the funding will be used to improve bus journeys, increase road safety and deliver new walking and cycling links across the borough.

While the funding has been allocated, most schemes will be subject to feasibility studies before designs are finalised or locations confirmed. However the council has outlined to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) a number of early priorities, giving an indication of where it plans to focus spending.

Portland Road, South Norwood (£650,000)

The allocation for Portland Road will be drawn from TfL’s LIP funding and is intended to address safety concerns linked to collision history and difficulties for pedestrians crossing the road. Proposed measures include traffic-calming features, improved crossing facilities and possible junction redesigns, subject to feasibility work.

Father Sam Dennis, of St Luke’s Church in Woodside, said he has witnessed a number of incidents and near misses on Portland Road in recent years. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The curve in Portland Road before the junction with Spring Lane and Woodside Green makes speeding especially dangerous, and I’m aware of at least four crashes near this junction in the last three years.”

Not all of the incidents happened late at night, he said, adding that two took place during the busy 8am period. He also said the church had suffered “significant damage to the boundary wall”.

“This sent brick and capstones flying,” he recounted. “In some ways it has been very, very lucky that no one was hurt.”

Father Dennis also described arriving to open the church one Sunday morning to find a car that had flipped over in the road and was on fire. He said the incident highlighted the risks faced by pedestrians using the pavement nearby.

“Knowing how many people walk down the pavement, we are very lucky no pedestrians have been seriously injured,” he said. He added that while bollards were installed earlier this year with support from local councillors, “a lot more could be done to make Portland Road safer for all pedestrians and road users”.

Despite these concerns, Croydon Council has not confirmed whether speed cameras will also be included as part of the measures.

Traffic speed and volume reduction (£3.41 million)

The largest share of the funding is earmarked for reducing traffic speeds and volumes on priority corridors across the borough. These changes, funded by the LIP cash, will focus on locations identified using collision data and community feedback, with measures likely to include speed tables and other traffic-calming interventions.

The council says the programme is intended to encourage walking, cycling and public transport. A detailed list of roads will be confirmed following feasibility studies.

Bus lanes and accessibility (£1.705 million)

LIP funding has been allocated to improve bus reliability and accessibility on key routes across Croydon. Planned measures include new bus lanes, extensions to existing lanes, new bus gates, ‘bus and cycle only’ streets, longer operating hours for current bus lanes and upgrades to ensure lanes meet minimum width standards.

Routes likely to be affected include sections of Whitehorse Road, Wellesley Road and the A23. Further works may include upgraded bus stops and additional accessibility improvements, subject to detailed assessment.

Pedestrian and cycle routes (£2 million)

Investment in walking and cycling will focus on improving links between neighbourhoods and green spaces across the borough. Croydon’s Section 106 funding would be used to provide match funding for improved cycle routes linking Mitcham Common to Wandle Park, Lloyd Park to Addington Park, and Lloyd Park to South Norwood Country Park.

While detailed routes and designs have yet to be confirmed, responses to the plans have been mixed. Angus Hewlett, from Croydon Cycling Campaign, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Croydon’s investment in green-space cycling links will be a welcome boost for the area’s recreational cyclists, and we hope it’ll encourage many more to explore the borough’s rich network of parks and rivers by bike.”

He added that improving access and signage to Mitcham Common, the Wandle Trail and the Waterlink Way via South Norwood Country Park would be “a positive step”.

However, he said: “We’d like to see more emphasis on utility cycling, those day-to-day short journeys to school, work, or major train stations.”

He also said the council should further expand its “successful” School Streets programme and “accelerate the creation of safe routes between the town centre and local population centres”.

Section 106 funding could also be used to provide new cycle hangars near the borough’s newest development sites.

Rail station improvements (£477,000)

Section 106 funding has been set aside for targeted improvements at West Croydon, East Croydon and Reedham stations to improve passenger flow and accessibility. At East Croydon, the money will contribute to smaller measures such as wayfinding, minor layout changes and accessibility upgrades rather than major structural works, such as those promised under the paused Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS).

MP Natasha Irons has previously said that resuming the CARS project would increase capacity at East Croydon station with two new platforms and provide step-free access at Norwood Junction station. However, the council says the planned short-term improvements are “future-proofed” for when CARS is eventually delivered, and all station schemes will be subject to technical studies and feasibility assessments.

Electric vehicle charging (£120,000)

Section 106 funding will be used to increase the number of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging points near new developments. The council says this supports its strategy for a sustainable and integrated transport system.

‘Connectivity one of Croyon’s greatest strengths’

Mayor Jason Perry said: “We are unlocking our borough’s potential through the Croydon Growth Plan, investing in improving our town centre, helping high streets to thrive and creating the right conditions for success.”

He added: “I am determined that we maximise every opportunity to support this growth and create new opportunities for everyone in Croydon.”He also said: “Croydon’s connectivity is one of its greatest strengths and our proposals set out how we will maximise TfL’s investment to build on this.”

The council noted that the £9million total is subject to confirmation by TfL, with the Local Implementation Plan award due in March 2026. The figure also includes a provisional LIP allocation for 2027/28, which will not be confirmed until March 2027.