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Welcome to the first in a series of updates that’ll follow the progress of the Council’s Thames Path Programme, which will follow the progress of the Programme and signpost opportunities to get involved.
What has happened...
In response to the 2017 Local Infrastructure Fund (LIF) consultation, residents expressed a desire to see improvements to the Thames Path within the borough. As a result, the Council's Regeneration Team established the Thames Path Programme to undertake feasibility and concept design work for the footpath.
The Regeneration Team began by producing a Scoping Report, to establish a baseline on where to begin with the Programme. The report outlines:
- The planning policy context;
- The Programme's Vision;
- An Inventory of the Thames Path / Riverside Walkway within the borough, covering accessibility, its physical condition, quality of the urban environment, and cultural offer; and
- An overview of management arrangements for the Programme.
The Scoping Report will remain a live document throughout the Programme's timespan, providing an overarching framework for the different work streams and phases that will contribute to making the Thames Path a better route for all. As the Programme progresses, your insights are encouraged to help feed into our understanding of experiences of the Thames Path and how it could be improved. Get in touch using the "Who's Listening" area on the right-hand side of the page, or use the Stories function at the bottom.
From the Scoping Report, poor legibility of the Thames Path / Riverside Walkway was highlighted as a key issue:
"Given the ever-shifting nature of the Thames Path, and the myriad of often temporary closures, signage along the Path does not always accurately reflect its true, or current, route. Further confusion sometimes arises by the use of Thames Path along the Riverside Walkway, and vice versa.
In addition to ambiguities regarding naming, there are also a large number of different signage types for users of the Path to contend with. Alongside the official signs installed by Natural England, there is borough signage, Legible London signage, and more localised signage (such as the information boards on the Isle of Dogs), which due to having been installed at different time periods can sometimes present contradictory information.
The Regeneration Team subsequently appointed Applied Wayfinding to carry out an in-depth analysis of wayfinding and connectivity along the Thames Path, and identify solutions. Applied produced a Wayfinding & Connectivity Strategy for the Thames Path, which includes:
- An audit of the existing condition of wayfinding along the route of the Thames Path / Riverside Walkway; and
- Recommendations for improvements in the form of an Action Plan.
The Regeration Team will look to deliver the Action Plan as part of the next phase of the Thames Path Programme, detailing ways to help improve wayfinding and legibility, alongside suggestions for other enhancements to the Thames Path to support navigation and enjoyment of the route for residents and vistors.
...and what's to come
Thanks to further responses made during the 2019 LIF consultation seeking improvements to the Thames Path, the Programme is moving forward into its next phase.
The Regeneration Team will be progressing the following in the coming months:
- Delivery of wayfinding and legibility proposals from the Wayfinding & Connectivity Strategy;
- A consultation exercise in Summer 2021 to get your views on ways we can improve accessibility and safety, and make the most of culture and leisure opportunities on and near the Thames Path; and
- Programming and delivery of projects.
We welcome you to keep up-to-date with the Programme by visiting this webpage, subscribing for updates via the "Who's Listening" area, or contributing via the Stories function.