Cllr Aled Richards-Jones is the Leader of Wandsworth Council.
Necessity is the mother of invention, or so says a proverb which has many parents, the earliest being Aesop. But it could also be said that necessity is the mother of reinvention or rediscovery. That has been the experience of high street pedestrianisation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the rediscovery of a pro-business, pro-environment policy which dates back decades, but whose benefits are more relevant than ever.
As businesses reopened after the first Covid-19 lockdown, it was vital to reassure anxious customers that they could eat and shop while maintaining social distance. The then Conservative Government responded by streamlining the table and chairs pavement licensing regime for hospitality businesses and encouraging councils to close streets to traffic to create extended al fresco dining spaces via Experimental Traffic Orders or similar powers. London councils, in particular, seized the moment, with my own council of Wandsworth introducing several ambitious schemes.
These policies succeeded not only in bringing customers back to the high street, but also in demonstrating how high streets themselves could be reimagined. High street pedestrianisation schemes embrace a thoroughly conservative approach. Like many other conservative successes, this approach follows a simple formula: the application of tried-and-tested principles to new circumstances.
High street pedestrianisation in Britain first gained momentum in the 1960s, with the realisation that safe, pollution-free environments attract more customers and, crucially, encourage them to stay longer, visit more, and spend money. This still applies today, with a Transport for London study finding footfall increases 93 per cent on pedestrianised streets, and with people spending a whopping 216 per cent more time visiting shops and cafes. Passing trade is therefore more likely to come from people spending more time on the high street, attracted by a lack of traffic noise, fumes, and road danger, meaning always prioritising vehicle access over the wider benefits of pedestrianisation would be a mistake for the local economy.
The high street is deeply embedded in British culture. Historically serving as our ‘third space’, Brits of all generations have felt a strong attachment to their row of local shops. The reverse holds today, with boarded-up shops often symbolising neglect, a lack of pride, and economic decline. This has been accelerated by the rise of e-commerce, creating an inexorable shift in consumer behaviour, with many people preferring home delivery for certain items. As conservatives, we must face the reality that British high streets have been changing for years, but pedestrianisation offers many the chance to remain a beloved part of British culture.
During the pandemic, I saw the benefits of pedestrianisation first-hand when I served as the Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Wandsworth Council. Part of my response to the recovery was to introduce temporary pedestrianisation to four high streets.
The most ambitious of our schemes was Northcote Road, which was closed to traffic at the weekend in summer. Once a standout example of independent retail, by the time of the pandemic, the road was experiencing the nationwide decline in retail and becoming dominated by hospitality and service businesses.
Once the pedestrianisation scheme was launched, Northcote Road became a go-to destination on the weekends, drawing visitors from beyond the immediate area. A survey by impartial council officers found that the scheme had saved 120 jobs and several longstanding businesses from insolvency. Crucial to this success was both resident and business support, with the same survey finding 88 percent of residents and 74 per cent of businesses supported the scheme.
However, the scheme was not without challenges. Firstly, to maintain a safe and pleasant atmosphere in close proximity to residential roads, ‘vertical’ drinking was banned, meaning customers could only enjoy alcohol seated at a table before 10pm to reduce disturbances. Private security and additional refuse management and street sweeping were hired to manage the increased activity. The road was closed with barriers in accordance with Metropolitan Police specifications. These barriers were financed by the council using government Covid-19 recovery funds, while hospitality businesses paid for private security and street sweeping through a voluntary levy based on the number of tables each business put on the pavement. Junctions with Northcote Road’s tributary streets were kept open, allowing traffic to flow around the road and ensuring those who needed to drive and park were still able to do so.
At first, the scheme required close observation and constant refinement to get it right. We resisted portaloos on the street, instead ensuring venues allowed use of their toilets to all visitors. Initially, table and chairs layouts were not friendly to those using wheelchairs, mobility aids, or buggies. So we agreed a new layout with the local businesses, informed by best practice from disabled persons’ advocacy groups. Additionally, two buses were rerouted along a parallel street. This required parking suspensions to avoid bus delays, meaning we engaged with residents to reach solutions on parking suspensions and temporary bus stops.
The Northcote Road scheme became a political casualty of the Conservatives’ May 2022 local election defeat. The new Labour administration argued that the cost of living crisis meant continuing the Northcote Road’s pedestrianisation was unsustainable, despite many welcoming the scheme and experiencing firsthand the benefits it unlocked. Notably, it refused to look at alternative sources of funding for the scheme, including through use of developers’ levies, and it did not factor in the dividend from increased local economy activity. Notably, Northcote Road’s two wards returned all Conservative councillors, highlighting the scheme’s popularity. Wandsworth Conservatives stood on a pledge to bring back the scheme if we won the 2026 elections. Following those elections, Northcote Road’s two wards again returned a full slate of Conservative councillors and we won enough seats across the borough to form the next administration. We will fulfil our pledge to bring this scheme back, as part of our journey towards reimagining our beloved high streets.
So how can we demonstrate that pedestrianisation schemes can provide value for money, as well as improving residents’ lives and revitalising our high streets with new economic and leisure opportunities? These schemes do involve some start-up costs, such as new street furniture, conducting business impact assessments, and meeting higher security costs. However, these costs can often be met without unduly relying on overstretched council tax revenue and capital budgets by utilising developers’ levies and voluntary contributions from businesses which will benefit financially from the scheme.
What struck me about the results of pedestrianisation in Wandsworth was how its benefits were felt across all generations, with many remarking on how the high street felt totally transformed, more like a village green than a street. We desperately need to breathe civic pride back into our high streets and support local businesses. Pedestrianisation will not be suitable for all high streets, but in the case of Northcote Road it proved both popular and profitable. A good conservative approach will always examine each case on its merits. It will ensure that the scheme has strong local support, is good value for money, and will help unlock tangible economic growth. At a time when council budgets are stretched, pedestrianisation schemes provide an affordable and pragmatic way to meaningfully improve residents’ lives by reducing air pollution, boosting their pride in their local areas, and fostering a sense of community across all generations.
This essay first appeared in the Conservative Environment Network’s essay collection A shiny city upon a hill