Havering has been ranked as the worst borough for cycling and healthy streets by a new scorecard which measures how well boroughs are meeting the Mayor of London’s targets.

Romford Recorder: London Boroughs Healthy Streets Scorecard.London Boroughs Healthy Streets Scorecard. (Image: Archant)

A coalition of transport campaigners produced a London Boroughs Healthy Streets Scorecard which shows how much progress the capital is making.

While Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest were revealed to have progressive schemes to cut car use and road danger, Havering and Redbridge were shown to take measures that put cars first instead of people.

In 2018 the Mayor of London published a new transport strategy committing London to a future where there is less car use, people walk and cycle more and air quality is better.

The data revealed that at 13per cent, Tower Hamlets has the highest amount of protected cycle track.

Havering has just 1.7pc and Redbridge has 1.9pc, according to data from TfL.

The scorecard also looks at how many adults walk and cycle more than five times a week, and the length of roads covered by Controlled Parking Zones.

Terry Hughes, of the Havering Cyclists group, said: "Against a backdrop here in Havering of chronic traffic congestion, vehicle pollution and rising obesity levels, we desperately need to make cycling safer and more appealing.

"We have been patiently waiting for some of the good things promised for cyclists in the mayor's transport strategy but when we look at the great things being done in other boroughs it seems that Havering is being completely left behind.

"The content of this report only goes to reinforce our view that Havering Council has to realise that its residents want and deserve better cycling and walking facilities to give them real choices about how they make their journeys."

Campaign groups London Living Streets, London Cycling Campaign, CPRE London, RoadPeace, Sustrans and Campaign for Better Transport London came together to form the study.

Councillor Osman Dervish, cabinet member for environment, said: "We are committed to helping our residents live healthy and actives lives, improving the environment and helping to implement safe and active ways for them to get around our borough.

"This has included providing free cycling training and activities for all ages, and providing a highly-commended sustainable travel programme for schools.

"We are looking at more enforcement around vehicles idling and traffic, especially around our schools and encouraging parents and children to walk more to and from school.

"We run a programme of walks across our parks which are a great way of keeping active and provide alternative safe routes for getting around and we are continuing to invest in leisure facilities across the borough.

"Our Air Quality Action Plan has already seen us working with local schools in learning about how we can all play a role in helping to improve the air that we breathe and planting shrubbery that helps to improve air quality.

"We are continuing to lobby for better public transport connections and look forward to implementing further measures under our Cleaner Havering campaign, so we can help our residents live, work and go to school in a cleaner and greener borough."

Dr Ashok Sinha, chief executive of the London Cycling Campaign, added: "People's access to streets that are safe enough to take the healthy option of cycling has long been a postcode lottery.

"But our data shows the gulf is widening further between the most progressive boroughs, such as Waltham Forest, the City and Camden, and the rest.

"Every London borough should study this scorecard and take action: the best can and should improve further still, and the rest can and should rise to the challenge of guaranteeing their residents cleaner air to breathe and safer streets in which to walk and cycle."

Havering Council has been contacted for comment.