The Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Wandsworth Council was scheduled to discuss updates on the Wandsworth Local Plan Partial Review and the progress of the Walking and Cycling Strategy. The committee was also set to review the proposed Highway Maintenance Programme for 2026/27 and consider recent developments affecting car club provision in the borough.

Wandsworth Local Plan Partial Review

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Wandsworth Local Plan Partial Review, which focuses on increasing the delivery of affordable housing, particularly social rented homes. This review aims to align the council's planning strategy with its Corporate Plan priorities. The report detailed proposed alterations to policies concerning affordable housing, housing mix, purpose-built student accommodation, housing with shared facilities, build to rent, and specialist housing for older and vulnerable people. The update covered the progress following the Examination in Public hearings and the subsequent Main Modifications consultation. The Inspector's proposed modifications were subject to public consultation, and the council was awaiting the Inspector's final report.

Wandsworth Walking and Cycling Strategy

A review of the Wandsworth Walking and Cycling Strategy, approved in November 2022, was scheduled. The strategy, which runs until 2030, aims to make walking and cycling safer and more convenient, thereby increasing sustainable travel and supporting environmental and health policies. The report detailed progress made since the strategy's approval, with a focus on the past year. Key achievements included the delivery of major capital schemes like Queenstown Road and Old York Road, new pedestrian crossings, School Streets, and increased cycle parking. The council has committed over £40 million of its own capital resources to implement the strategy. The report also provided updates on specific schemes, including improvements at Queenstown Road, Burntwood Lane, Old York Road, and Totterdown Street, as well as progress on quiet cycle routes and improvements to Wandsworth Bridge and the Putney Bridge junction.

Proposed Highway Maintenance Programme for 2026/27

The committee was due to consider the proposed annual Highway Maintenance Programme for footways and carriageways in the borough for 2026/27. This programme is part of a wider £100 million investment in footways and carriageways over a ten-year period. The report outlined the prioritisation process for maintenance, which includes detailed visual inspections, engineer assessments, and consideration of various factors such as environmental and safety risks, whole-life costs, and locality factors. The programme also detailed proposed footway and carriageway resurfacing works on council housing land, funded from the Housing Revenue Account. The report noted that the council had secured grant allocations from the Department for Transport (DfT) and highlighted the potential for additional funding from Transport for London (TfL) for the Borough Principal Road Network.

Car Clubs Provision

The committee was scheduled to discuss recent developments affecting car club provision in the borough, particularly the withdrawal of Zipcar, the largest operator. The report explained the role of car clubs in reducing car ownership, pollution, and traffic congestion, and their inclusion as an objective in the council's transport plans. It detailed the current provision of car club parking bays and the impact of Zipcar's withdrawal, which would leave a significant number of bays vacant. The report outlined actions taken to maintain car club provision, including meeting with other operators and proposing simplified Service Level Agreements with waived permit fees for the first year to encourage new operators. The potential repurposing of unoccupied car club bays for other uses, such as e-bike/e-scooter bays, bikehangars, EV charging points, or resident permit parking, was also to be discussed.