Man and van in Lambeth
Clapham conversions, flats over Brixton shops, Kennington estates and new blocks at Vauxhall: each asks something different of the van and the crew.
Covering Clapham, Brixton, Stockwell, Kennington, Vauxhall, Streatham and West Norwood.
From Clapham conversions to the new blocks at Nine Elms
Four kinds of building turn up again and again here. Victorian terraces and conversion flats run through Clapham, Stockwell and Herne Hill. Flats above shops line Brixton Road, Acre Lane and Streatham High Road. Kennington and Stockwell have large post-war estates, and new blocks sit at Vauxhall and Nine Elms.
Block, core and floor on the Kennington and Stockwell estates
On the big estates, the nearest place to stop is often not the nearest door. Give the block, the core you use and your floor, so the driver parks at the right end of the service road.
Flats above shops on Brixton Road and Streatham High Road bring a different problem: both roads are red routes.
Red routes on Brixton Road and Streatham High Road, permits further in
Brixton Road and Streatham High Road are red routes, and the rules there limit stopping. If your door is on either, plan on a loading bay or a parking suspension rather than hoping to pull in outside.
Most of inner Lambeth is permit-controlled with long hours. Streatham and Norwood are more mixed; read the signs on your own street. Estate blocks usually have a service road or a marked loading area for the van, rather than a kerb by your entrance.
Man and van in Lambeth, from the South Bank to West Norwood
The borough is long and thin: fully central at the top, suburban at the bottom, with the A23 carrying most of the north-south traffic between. For a man with a van, each stretch is a different job.
- Waterloo and the South Bank: inside the Congestion Charge zone.
- Vauxhall and Nine Elms: new blocks at the central end.
- Kennington and Stockwell: post-war estates.
- Clapham and Herne Hill: terraces and conversions.
- Brixton: shop-top flats and a busy centre.
- Streatham and West Norwood: suburban, mixed parking.
Working round a slow A23 and a busy Brixton centre
The A23 through Brixton and Streatham is slow through the middle of the day, and Brixton town centre is busy from mid-morning, worst at weekends. If Brixton is at either end of your move, an early weekday start avoids the busiest hours.
Hills at Herne Hill and Tulse Hill add time to every heavy trip on foot. So do a long estate walk and a shop-top staircase. Mention any of them when you book.
- Estate flats: give the block, the core and the floor, not just the street.
- Brixton Road and Streatham High Road are red routes; plan a loading bay or suspension.
- Brixton town centre is busy from mid-morning, and busier at weekends.
- The hills at Herne Hill and Tulse Hill add time to any carry on foot.
Congestion Charge and ULEZ in Lambeth
Only the northern tip, around Waterloo and the South Bank, is inside the Congestion Charge zone. Clapham, Brixton, Streatham and Norwood are clear of it.
ULEZ and any charge are in the driver’s price. How pricing works
What a move from Lambeth costs
Other areas close to Lambeth
SE1, SE5, SE15, SE16, SE22
SW11, SW12, SW17, SW18
W1, W2, SW1, NW8
CR0, CR2, CR7, SE25
Moving in Lambeth: your questions
The type of building and your floor. On an estate, add the block and core. On a red route, say so, so a loading bay or suspension can be planned.
The A23 through Brixton and Streatham is slow through the middle of the day, and Brixton town centre is busy from mid-morning, especially at weekends. The hills at Herne Hill and Tulse Hill add time on foot with heavy items.
Only if it starts or ends around Waterloo and the South Bank. Clapham, Brixton, Streatham and Norwood are outside it.