Havering Council Active Travel Strategy

We carried out a consultation between 23 October and 6 December 2024 to seek views on Havering’s Active Travel Strategy for Havering.

The strategy is an ambitious roadmap designed to revolutionise the way we move around our community over the next 15 years. By prioritising active travel - walking, cycling, and wheeling - we aim to create a healthier, more connected, and vibrant borough.

Active travel can improve air quality, reduce congestion, improve public health, boost the local economy, decrease social inequalities, reallocate road space for community uses and improve a sense of belonging.

We also launched a special version of our Active Travel Consultation just for children and young people aged under 18, and up to age 25 with special educational needs, to ensure we captured the views of all our residents.

We received a total of 365 responses:

• 145 responses were received to the main consultation
• 220 were received to the Children and Young People’s consultation.

Main consultation

• 79 people (55%) said they walk every day, with 9 people (6.5%) saying that they don’t walk.
• A 20 minute walk was the most popular (28%), followed by walking up to an hour (21%).
• 84 people (58%) said that they didn’t own a bike, and 58 people (40%) said they did, however, 96 people said that they do not cycle (66.5%).
• 6 people (4%) cycle to work and 45 people (31%) cycle for recreation.
• 60 people (41.5%) said they supported Havering’s Active Travel strategy and what we are trying to achieve, whereas 38 people (26.5%) did not support it, and 47 people (32%) were unsure.
• The majority of respondents (63%) supported the measures and initiatives that the Council has been delivering in recent years to support walking and cycling in the borough, however, 42 people (29%) did not.
• 71 people (49%) agreed with our strategy’s vision and goals, with 49 people (34%) not agreeing.
• 54 people said the strategy did not reflect their own vision for Havering, whilst 49 said it did, and 42 were either unsure or did not answer.
• 51 people felt that the strategy was ambitious enough, whereas 31 people did not, and 63 people were either unsure or did not answer.

Children and young people consultation

• 168 (76.5%) of young people who responded own a bike or scooter, whereas 32 (14.5%) do not.
• The majority of young people (82%) felt that the goals in the strategy were a good idea, however 4% did not.
• The majority of young people (69%) felt that our plans will make Havering safer for walking, cycling and wheeling, whereas 4% did not.

The draft Active Travel Strategy is currently being amended following your feedback and will be presented at Havering's Cabinet where it will be recommended for adoption.

We will update this page once a decision has been made.