Traffic management in Sydenham

Lewisham Council is the highway authority for Sydenham: the borough runs local roads, while Transport for London runs the red routes. Red routes, the main roads on the Transport for London Road Network, need TfL's agreement instead. Trunk roads are managed by National Highways.

Almost every English highway authority now runs a permit scheme under the Traffic Management Act 2004, so works on the road need a permit, applied for through the government's Street Manager service. Minor works usually need 3 working days' notice, standard works 10 and major works 3 months.

Primary routes through Sydenham include the A21 and A205. On roads like these, queue lengths decide the method: we set signal timings to keep traffic moving and suggest night or off-peak work where it helps.

Sydenham is home to around 28,000 people, so works plans need to think about pedestrians, buses and deliveries as well as through traffic.