This week saw a step forward for Conservative councillors' campaign to bring the proposed new Superloop SL15 bus route to Mottingham Station and extend the route on to Woolwich, after councillors unanimously supported a call for Greenwich Council to lobby Transport for London on both of these asks.
The route - which Transport for London are proposing will run from Clapham Junction to Eltham in both directions - could be the only near-term opportunity to improve north-south bus links in the near future, and is particularly important given their failure to deliver the Eltham-Beckton bus route that was promised by the Mayor of London as part of the Silvertown Tunnel project.
Councillor Matt Hartley, who represents Mottingham, Coldharbour & New Eltham ward, proposed the motion calling on Greenwich Council "to use every available means" to lobby both Transport for London and hte Mayor of London to add Mottingham and Woolwich to the SL15 route, and invest in "further improvements in north-south bus routes over the medium and long term in addition to this".
Labour Interim Cabinet Member Calum O'Byrne Mulligan agreed to second the proposal, which was supported unanimously by all three Groups on the Council in a rare example of cross-party agreement.
Councillor Matt Hartley, Leader of Greenwich Conservatives, said: "Mottingham Coldharbour and New Eltham ward is poorly served by local bus routes, and Eltham and the south of the borough as a whole has not benefited as much these communities should have from the Elizabeth Line coming to Woolwich. It is essential that we improve north-south bus links, and extending the SL15 on to Woolwich - and adding a much-needed stop at Mottingham Station - could be our only realistic chance to make this happen in the near future."
"I am pleased that our proposal for Greenwich Council to formally lobby for both of these stops secured cross-party support, and I would like to thank the other two Groups on the Council for working with my colleagues and I on this. We will keep pushing TfL on this and keep residents updated."
Luke Warren, Conservative candidate for Mottingham, Coldharbour & New Eltham ward has been campaigning to encourage residents to take part in the SL15 consultation. Luke said: "We have had a terrific response from residents to our calls to take part in the consultation, and I hope Transport for London listens to the need for this crucial Mottingham stop - which would benefit not only people in Mottingham, but residents on the Coldharbour and Middle Park estates, and New Eltham too.
"The south of the borough badly needs this fast link to Woolwich, and we will do everything we can to persuade Transport for London to make this change to the SL15 route."
