CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE

Chapter
Streetscape Manual

Introduction
Planning guidance from national and regional government sets out the broad agenda for our policy on public spaces. Such guidance increasingly refers to the value of the highway environment. In response to this, we have developed a set of performance indicators that are based on our assessment of what people in Bromley want. The Council’s Building a
Better Bromley strategy also identified six key areas for improvement in Bromley, three of which directly relate to the ‘public realm’ (ie public spaces):
• safer Bromley
• quality environment
• vibrant, thriving town centres.
Well-used, well-maintained and well-managed routes, adequately lit, with active places and ‘owned’ spaces will help create safe and attractive places.
Clean, uncluttered streets with good-quality street furniture and plants provide an attractive environment for all. Managed parks, commons and open spaces plus rural roadside verges and hedgerows are important assets for the borough and are part of our local heritage. We recognise that residential streets with green front gardens enhance the local street environment.
Town centres are not only the lifeblood of our local economy but they give residents important social and leisure benefits. When considering the streets in our town centres, we must balance the needs of pedestrians with privately owned vehicles, on-street parking and public transport. The balance has shifted away from car-dominated towns towards giving priority to buses and emphasising access for all.

Chapter
Streetscape Manual

2: Key design principles
We preserve existing quality and maintain a high level of management so that our streets are attractive, accessible and safe environments for residents, visitors and businesses.
Our coordinated approach to design and management gives our streets a consistent appearance. We have chosen a palette of products and materials that helps create the ‘Bromley style’.
The way we design and manage our streets enables people to use space efficiently and safely by:
• ensuring vehicle speeds are appropriate for the surroundings. We introduce speed controls where needed, and consider vehicle speed when designing new street schemes
• creating a visual language for streetscapes. We aim to improve ‘legibility’, so that bollards, guard rails, signs and road markings are minimal and uncluttered
• providing adequate lighting. When assessing lighting, we consider street safety and our aim to reduce the fear of crime, as well as the ambience of the surrounding area.
Our streetscapes acknowledge local character and distinctiveness. Schemes respond to agreed needs but do not compromise local character.
We respect landscape, ecology, built environment and local heritage. We consider alternatives to standard approaches in some areas to cater for local circumstances.
Streets cater for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users. We work to ensure safe journeys for all and prioritise non-car movement where appropriate. We do this by providing uncluttered routes that are adequately lit and accessible, and shared highway space, especially valuable in town centres.
Our duty is to consider and protect everyone who uses the roads and pavements, including those with disabilities.
We want to create streets where:
• people of all abilities can access different methods of transport and change between them
• people can move along footways unhindered by street clutter, poor-quality materials and badly placed obstacles
• conflict between vehicles and pedestrians is reduced
• there is space on the pavements where people can meet socially and where vibrant, wellmanaged street activity can flourish.

2: Key design principles
We manage the streetscape in a sustainable way by:
• using strong, durable materials and building methods that guarantee a long life but are flexible to change
• ensuring the materials we use are sustainably produced and sourced
• using new technologies that offer renewable sources or reduce dependence on fossil fuels
• ensuring existing streetscapes are maintained through regular inspection and timely repairs
• ensuring new streetscapes meet stringent standards. Where developers build roads with a view to their adoption by the highway authority (in this case, the Council), they need to meet our design and construction standards.
The Department for Transport’s Manual for
Streets (2007) provides an overview of the issues that developers will need to consider when liaising with local authorities. Detailed technical information is also available from our
Highway Planning team in their Design Manual for Development. This will be made available electronically, but in the meantime please contact the team for a hard copy.
The key documents that demonstrate our commitment to public spaces and guide the agencies that work on the public highway are:
•
Building a Better Bromley - safer communities, a quality environment and vibrant, thriving town centres are three of the six key Council objectives
•
Bromley’s Unitary Development Plan - this document sets out the objectives and policies for the public environment, and reflects national and regional planning guidance
• our webpages, including neat street, road and pavement works, road signs and markings, and markets and street events
• our operational information, including the winter services plan, the vehicle crossovers information leaflet, the design manual for development
(currently not available electronically) and the community clean-up information booklet.

Chapter
Streetscape Manual

3: Maintenance and management
We have a comprehensive street-cleaning programme to ensure our street scene looks good and is free of unwanted vehicles and graffiti. We are also responsible for maintaining and developing the natural environment, which includes grass verges, floral displays and trees.
Road maintenance is essential for road users’ safety and comfort. Regular repair prevents the deterioration that can lead to more serious problems.
Regular maintenance means savings in repair costs and avoiding long road closures. We make cyclical safety inspections at specified frequencies, depending on the type and use of each road.
Our highway maintenance programme balances reactive work that our minor works contractor does to ‘faults’, such as potholes, with complete renewal of roads and pavements. Our major works contractor undertakes an annual programme of planned work, which is determined by both visual and machinebased surveys of the footway and carriageway. We also have a programme of maintenance for street furniture, which involves cleaning, repainting, repairing and replacing street furniture, including lamp columns.
As the highway authority, we are responsible for coordinating streetworks in accordance with the New
Roads and Streetworks Act (NRSWA) and Traffic
Management Act (2004). Utility companies can carry out work on the roads and pavements, which we will check to ensure it meets our standards.
We have a comprehensive street-cleaning programme, which sets out to deliver nationally and locally set cleanliness standards. Our streetcleaning contractor is responsible for sweeping the streets according to an agreed schedule, which can vary depending on location and footfall. Our latest contract, which started in 2005, introduced a new method of mechanical sweeping to the borough for both pavements and roads. It also includes ad-hoc cleaning projects such as removing chewing gum and jet-washing streets.
Our street-cleaning contractor is also responsible for a seven-day-a-week graffiti and fly-posting removal service, responding to customer reports and also operating on a ‘find and fix’ basis. The contract covers removing smaller fly-tips, and helping to collect information for our enforcement officers to take action against fly-tippers. Another contractor is responsible for operating our abandoned vehicles removal service. This contractor is also involved in special projects, for instance removing cars from streets where we are doing deep cleansing.
We plant a range of plants and flowers throughout the year to enhance the appearance of our streets. We use planters as well as roundabouts and other councilowned highway land for our displays. Increasingly, we choose hardy and perennial plants, which need less water and maintenance. We also use sculpture in our displays, which adds variety and interest.
Half-hardy annuals such as marigolds, impatiens, lobelia, ageratums and geraniums are grown from seed in early spring and are put out in May. These summer bedding plants remain till late September.
Winter bedding plants, including pansies, polyanthus, wallflowers and bulbs, are planted in early October and remain in place till the following May.
We install free-standing planters, troughs and hanging baskets, particularly in town centres or shopping areas. Plants are watered using inbuilt reservoirs, and water-retaining gels are also used for optimum growing conditions. Businesses sponsor our displays in town centres, working with us to brighten streetscapes across the borough.

3: Maintenance and management
The borough’s 35,000 street trees are a major contributor to creating and preserving local character. Our contractor’s work is divided between programmed maintenance for larger forest-type trees such as the London plane, oak and beech; crownlifting and thinning smaller trees such as the cherry, ornamental pear and rowan; and root pruning where roots may undermine buildings and roads. We have an annual safety inspection programme of our trees, where we remove dead, dying or structurally dangerous trees.
We cut grass on greens and roadside verges from late winter or early spring till late autumn or early winter, depending on the severity of the weather.
The interval between cuts varies from fortnightly during spring and summer to up to a month at slower growing times. During droughts, we cut less often; in very wet conditions we extend the time between cuts to avoid damaging the soil by compacting it with the mowers.
Grass cutting includes strimming around edges, trees and street furniture. Our contract specifies that no cuttings should be left on the road or pavement after mowing so these are blown back onto the grass within
24 hours.
The borough is divided into areas, which are assigned to area inspectors. Inspectors are responsible for responding to reports about street problems, which includes everything from potholes to overhanging vegetation.
They monitor the contractors we have working in our streets, from roadworks to street cleaning. Our inspectors will also report any problems they spot, such as graffiti or broken streetlights.
Inspectors monitor highway licences granted for skips, street trading, and any other use of the road. If people are operating without the appropriate licence, inspectors can start enforcement action. Enforcement can be a written warning or, in more serious cases, legal proceedings.
Our inspectors also monitor streetworks in accordance with the New Roads and Streetworks Act. If utility companies fail to comply with the Act, inspectors can take enforcement action.
To ensure that our streets are attractive and welcoming, we also take enforcement action against illegal activities such as fly-tipping, graffiti, and littering. As well as encouraging residents to report street problems and take part in community initiatives, we operate an enviro-crime reward scheme and will support residents to run community clean-up projects in areas they choose.

Chapter
Streetscape Manual

4: The fabric of our streets
We use a variety of footway surfaces in Bromley. Our policy is generally to repave ‘like for like’, replacing existing surfaces with the same or similar material, so allowing for consistency across the borough.
The materials we use are:
ASP is standard-sized rectangular pre-cast concrete slabs, usually laid on a sand base in transverse bond to the kerb. Although ASP is more expensive to maintain than tarmac, it avoids the patchwork appearance of tarmac after work has been done because the slabs can be lifted and relaid. We use pink and light-grey slabs, often with a block of bitumen macadam road-edge margin.
ASP is used mainly in residential areas. It is not practical where vehicles load up on or run over the pavement because the slabs are easily broken by sudden shocks or heavy loads. Fractured paving looks unsightly and creates a tripping hazard. Where problems like this occur, we replace ASP with tarmac or modular paving (see below) to strengthen the footway.
This paving and its bedding are designed to withstand heavy loads and vehicles riding over it. It is generally used on main routes and roads where this is likely.
These small square slabs are manufactured in pre-cast concrete; because of their size, damaged or broken pieces are easily replaced. Similar-coloured concrete block paving infill is used for edging and around utility covers and street furniture.
Concrete blocks are also used for their load-bearing capacity so we use them in areas where there is frequent vehicle loading and heavy footfall, such as town centres, and on vehicle crossovers. Usually laid in a 90-degree herringbone pattern, they tend to be red, ochre brindle, or grey. Like modular paving, broken or damaged areas can be replaced with less disruption.
Clay pavers, or bricks, are used at limited locations across the borough where there is a tradition of using clay on footways, for example in town centres or conservation areas, where they are often laid in a
45-degree herringbone pattern. The benefits of their aesthetic appeal need to be carefully balanced against cost and the increasing quality of reasonably priced alternative concrete products.
Porous-bound aggregate dressings such as SureSet give a natural-looking gravel finish around trees. As trees mature and their roots grow, the paving can become uneven. Paving needs to allow for the tree to grow healthily while offering safe, even footing and an easy-to-clean surface. An unsurfaced area around the tree provides room for growth. The resin treatment can easily be broken out if the tree needs to be replaced.
Tumbled concrete setts are produced in varying sizes to fit into a modular form-and-bond pattern.
Products come in two depths so are suitable for roads, where strength is important, and pavements. They are generally laid as flexible paving and do not need mortar jointing.
When laid across the carriageway, setts provide texture and colour contrast to the darker roadway surface, so they can be used to emphasise pedestrian priority, with no loss of strength or wearing. Setts are robust and hardwearing and can withstand heavy traffic. The colours commonly used are burnt ochre and red brindle.
Granite setts are hard-wearing, roughly cut cubes of stone, set into the ground like cobbles. Usually mortared and pointed, they are used for decorative effect in conservation areas and have been used as rumble strips in road-safety schemes. Their cost restricts extensive use in the borough.

4: The fabric of our streets
Natural sandstone sawn into slabs, hard Yorkstone is the highest-quality paving used in the borough. It has a textured stone finish with a mix of grey or blue-grey colours, sometimes streaked or patched with bands of yellow-brown. Slabs can be cut into any size, and a mix of widths and lengths creates an attractive, irregular surface that wears well and is slip resistant.
Again, cost restricts use to high-profile sites and conservation areas.
This black bituminous material binds small stone aggregates into a smooth, flat surface. An advantage is the flexibility it gives, as blacktop can be shaped over uneven areas, which can miminise tripping hazards. This simple and effective treatment will lighten as the bitumen wears, gradually revealing more of the aggregates.
In rural and semi-rural areas, the material echoes the traditional bound stone used to surface many
Kentish footways over the past two centuries. We use bitumen on rural and residential footways. Blacktop is often used as a margin (edging) to ASP where there are no grass verges.
Mastic asphalt is a poured and trowelled material, dense and smooth with a dark-grey finish that gradually turns lighter. It was mainly used in housing estates built during the late 60s and early 70s, and is being replaced by blacktop because this is more cost effective and makes reinstatements and repairs less noticeable.
We use tactile paving to provide warning and guidance for blind or partially sighted people, specifically to indicate where the pavement ends and the road or other obstacle begins. Tactile paving is used at formal crossings – pelican crossings, zebra crossings, puffin crossings or traffic-signal-controlled junctions with pedestrian facilities. It is also used to indicate dropped kerbs and other changes in the level of the footway.
Red tactile paving is used at controlled crossing points; buff or dark-grey tactile paving is used at uncontrolled crossing points. When using tactile paving, a neat, designed finish is needed with clear lines where the paving starts and ends.
References: specification and application to conform to the Department of Transport’s current guidelines,
BS EN1339 (2003) and BS 7533: Part 4 (2006).
Crossing points are integrated into the street design and are installed for practical reasons and for pedestrian safety. We consider carefully whether to use pedestrian guardrails, and we only introduce railings where there is evidence that pedestrian safety would otherwise be compromised.
We prefer to use straight-across crossing arrangements because they create less clutter than staggered crossings, which have holding places
(pens) in the middle of the road. When staggered crossings are necessary, we choose designs that are as simple as possible, and use tactile paving for the whole crossing point.
Uncontrolled crossings are those where pedestrians do not have priority. They include pedestrian-refuge islands, side-road junctions and signal-controlled junctions without pedestrian phases. Tactile paving is used at these points.

4: The fabric of our streets
At controlled crossings, pedestrians can establish priority over vehicles. Please note that signalled pedestrian crossings are installed and maintained by
Transport for London. Although the Council can make comments to TfL about crossings, final management decisions are made by TfL. These crossings are of five types:
•
Zebra crossings, indicated by alternative blackand-white bands on the road within a controlled area marked by zigzag lines, accompanied by flashing belisha beacons. Pedestrians only have right of way on the crossing. This type of crossing is not suitable for roads with high vehicle speed limits.
•
Pelican traffic signal crossings, marked with studs within a controlled area marked by zigzag lines. Pedestrians activate the crossing by pushing a button and waiting for a red signal to stop the traffic. Sound and vibrating toggles on the button pad indicate the safe crossing period to users with disabilities.
•
Puffin (Pedestrian User Friendly Intelligent) crossings.
These are similar to pelican crossings but have nearside pedestrian signal heads, kerbside detection to cancel pedestrian demand when it is no longer needed, and infra-red detectors on the crossing to extend crossing time when needed. This type of crossing will eventually replace pelican crossings.
•
Toucan (‘two can cross’) signal crossings, which combine pedestrian and cycle movement across the road. These have nearside and farside pedestrian and cycle heads (signals).
Crossovers are sections of pavement with a lowered kerb connecting a private driveway to the road.
Residents pay for these to be installed, and they are then maintained by the Council as part of the pavement. Grey concrete block or blacktop is usually used for the surface, chosen to fit in with the character of the area.
A crossover is designed to strengthen the footway to enable vehicles to cross the pavement legally. Details, terms and conditions are available on the vehicle crossovers page of our website, or you can request a leaflet.
The maximum width of a crossover is 3 metres with a dropped kerb either side, which can extend the overall width at the edge of the road to 4.8 metres. It is not our practice to construct additional crossovers to a property where one already exists.
Crossovers should maintain the vertical alignment of the pavement except for a short section down to the road, to avoid surface dips and maintain pedestrian priority.
Kerbs are often used to mark the edge of the pavement. Kerbs are granite, reconstituted stone aggregate or pre-cast concrete (PCC), and come in straight or curved sections. Dropped kerbs, which are sections of the kerb that have been lowered, provide an easier crossing point for pedestrians, pram users and wheelchair users.
Granite stone produces high-quality, long-lasting kerbs. There are high costs involved with using granite and where the cost of granite cannot be sustained, exposed aggregate kerbs are used, mainly in town centres and conservation areas. This is a mix of granite stone aggregates and concrete, which creates a textured finish in the style of natural stone.
Standard pre-cast concrete kerbs are used for most road repaving and repair schemes. Smooth and white in appearance, the concrete fades to a light grey over time.

We operate our ‘like for like’ policy with road surfaces.
This is a smooth, hard-wearing road surface consisting of an asphalt-wearing course with chippings rolled into it for skid resistance. The stone chips give a textured dressing that has become characteristic of suburban streets. Patching and repairs can be difficult to mask. HRA has been used for main roads in the borough but is now being superseded by stone mastic asphalt (SMA).
SMA is a smooth surface covering that is in general use throughout the borough. The high stone content of the material and small indentations in the surface provide skid resistance. The surface reduces traffic noise and generates less spray when wet. It is replacing HRA throughout the borough. The solid black finish wears as the bitumen fades to reveal a more textured grey appearance over time.
Anti-skid surfacing is applied on top of standard road surfaces. It is used on certain parts of a road to improve skid resistance, such as sharp bends and approaches to pedestrian crossings.
Raised entry treatments are sections of road where the road surface has been brought up to the level of the pavement. We use tactile paving to help pedestrians know where the pavement ends and the road starts, and colours and textured surfaces to warn drivers.
Raised entry treatments are often used in areas of high footfall, such as town centres, to create a sense of pedestrian priority. Raised entries are similar to side entry treatments, which can be seen on red routes and are used to differentiate side roads from the main road.
Bus lanes are only installed on roads that are wide enough. Bus lanes should be appropriately ‘lined and signed’ in accordance with relevant regulations.
Cycle lanes are sections of the road or pavement for cyclists only. Coloured asphalt or white lines are used to indicate routes, with appropriate signs. Off- and on-road lanes are marked to encourage safe bicycle journeys in the borough. The markings show the different uses of the road and pavement space for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians.
The Council aims to keep road markings to the minimum needed to warn and direct road users, in accordance with traffic regulations. The Traffic signs manual, chapter 5, provides technical guidance for local councils to follow.
During routine maintenance when markings are renewed, contractors must take care to apply accurately the new surface over the old so that previous markings are covered. If previous markings have been adapted or changed, they need to be burnt from the road surface before new markings are applied.
Markings are usually applied as a hot thermoplastic screed with glass beads to provide a retro-reflective surface. Durable paints are also used, but do not have the reflective characteristics of thermoplastic.
References:
Department of Transport
Traffic signs, regulations and general directions
(2002) – section 4 and schedule 6 (road markings)
Traffic signs manual – chapter 5 (road markings)
2004

4: The fabric of our streets
Marked bays are used to denote parking spaces for specific types of vehicles. Bays are usually found in a controlled parking zone, and bays can also be used to designate particular groups of people, such as Blue
Badge holders or doctors.
Times for use and maximum stay periods are defined by traffic regulation orders. Bays are marked with a broken white line; a sign close to the bay states who the bay is for and how long parking is allowed there.
References:
Department of Transport
•
Inclusive mobility: A guide to best practice on access to pedestrians and transport infrastructure
(2002)
Service-box covers provide access to the equipment of utility companies such as water, gas, electricity and telecommunications; they are usually found on the pavement. They are owned by the utility companies.
The size and location of the covers depends on the need for access to service and repair the equipment.
Although we can arrange for utility companies to move covers, this is generally very costly. We own a small proportion of covers for highway drainage and CCTV; traffic-signalling covers are owned by
Transport for London.
Where possible, existing covers on pavements are reset in line with the paving direction. Where new pavements are laid, covers should be installed in line with the paving direction. Care should be taken to ensure neat mortar joining. Although the service owner is responsible for installing and maintaining their covers, they should be used as discreetly as possible.
We are responsible for gullies (the road-drainage system) from the grate to where it connects to the sewer and Thames Water is then responsible for the rest of the system. There are about 35,000 gullies in the borough’s streets, which are maintained as part of the Council’s street-gulley cleaning and maintenance programme.
Designs include more open storm drains in the countryside and hinged grills in built-up areas. Small mesh grills are sometimes used in pedestrian areas.
Where gradients are low, perforated concrete kerbs are used, directing water to the nearest drain.
The few subway structures in the borough have been built to allow pedestrians and cyclists access to areas without having to cross wide, fast and busy roads.
They were built as part of national highway-planning schemes. We now try where possible to design and create roadside environments that avoid the need for subways.
References:
Department of Transport
•
TD 36/93 Subways for pedestrians and pedal cycles - layout and dimensions
•
Streetscape manual (5): Street furniture

Chapter
Streetscape Manual

5: Street furniture
We install and maintain thousands of items of street furniture every year. We choose products according to value for money, durability, aesthetics and quality, using developing technology and new materials. By carefully selecting the products, we ensure we have a consistent approach to street furniture throughout the borough.
•
Lamp columns across the borough but not in town centres: Sage BS 12-B-17 (paint applied).
•
Lamp columns and other furniture in many town centres, Crystal Palace, Penge and Anerley: Dark
Green BS 12-B-27 (paint applied and pre-coated).
•
Street furniture in a number of towns, particularly historic towns and rural villages: Black BS 00-E-
53.
•
Special treatments (lamp columns in Main Road,
Biggin Hill town centre): Blue BS 18-E-51.
Visibility bands (yellow paint or tape) are used on street furniture in areas heavily used by pedestrians.
The bands are particularly useful where furniture finishes and surfaces do not stand out.
Special coatings can help where graffiti and flyposting are a particular problem. Clear and rippletextured products are available.
Footway treatments vary from the urban street to rural pathways. Their appearance and construction is designed to meet the needs of each area, whether a town-centre street or a park path. Many types of products are used, including paving slabs, modular blocks, poured or rolled material such as bitumen macadam, and cut stone.
In town centres, most of the footways are slabs, modular paving or cut stone. Suburban streets will often have grass verges with a mix of slabs, blocks and bitumen. More rural areas, including country villages, will have mostly bitumen.

5: Street furniture
Product
Artificial stone paving (ASP) concrete flags
Colour
Natural grey and pink
Size
900x600x65mm standard format
(three variations)
Modular concrete flags Natural grey – used with infill blocks 400x400x65mm
Concrete blocks (pedestrian areas) Natural grey or brindle 200x100x80mm
Concrete blocks (vehicle areas) Natural grey 200x100x65mm
Concrete blocks (full footway)
Concrete setts (tegula)
Natural grey, burnt ochre, harvest and brindle
200x100x65mm
Burnt ochre, harvest, pennant grey Modular range 80mm depth
Material
Bitumen macadam
Rolled stone chippings or gravel
Mastic asphalt
Characteristics
Black continuous mass, bound with standard-size stone aggregates (6mm for footway)
Aggregates rolled into top dressing
Grey/black dense, smooth finish
Material
Yorkstone flags
Yorkstone setts
Granite setts
Characteristics
Sawn slabs giving attractive grey, sandy and mauve/blue finish, mortar joined
As above, cut into smaller units
Cut or cropped stone, mortar jointed
Where possible, we follow Government guidelines on the placement of tactile paving for controlled and uncontrolled crossings.
Product
Concrete blister (crossing threshold)
Concrete blister (crossing threshold)
Concrete blister (crossing threshold) alternative choice
Concrete corduroy (cycle route crossing)
Colour
Red at controlled crossings; grey in conservation areas
Buff at uncontrolled crossings
Size
400x400x65mm
400x400x65mm
Grey at uncontrolled crossings
Charcoal grey
400x400x65mm
400x400x65mm

5: Street furniture
Standard concrete is used on main distributor roads, with stone aggregate textured and granite in high-quality locations such as conservation areas and towns.
Product/material
Granite, fine picked
Granite, profiled
Granite lane edging
Location
Straight or radius
Bus platforms
Size
150mm width
Standard form
Bus lane, parking and disabled bays 300mm width
Stone aggregate textured concrete Straight, set radius, dropped and quadrant
Standard pre-cast concrete
Kerb with drainage system
Straight, radius, dropped, transition, quadrants, edging – various profiles
145, 125 or 255mm standard widths
Many standard and non-standard items
Straight, radius – various profiles Widths and chamber; capacities vary
Use
Cycle routes
Bus lane
Item
Cycle or walking plaque
Material
Green aggregate applied dressing
Applied dressing
Material
Natural concrete with inset colour logo
Size
450x450x65mm

5: Street furniture
We install public seats according to demand, need and local advice. Budget permitting, we will put seats where we have received positive suggestions. We will include dedication and commemorative plaques, as appropriate.
You can also fund benches with memorial commemoration plaques for your area.
Timber is the material usually used for seat slates and back rests. It is comfortable, reliable and easy to repair.
We ensure our seat suppliers use a certified source for timber, such as that operated by the Forest Stewardship
Council.
The standard bench frame used has basic hollow-section mild steel end supports but some have ornate cast-iron supports. These benches are used in town centres and conservation areas. There are few variations to this metaland-timber mix, but we are more likely to use all-timber seats in more rural settings and near open land and parks.
We also use wrought-iron seats in parks.
One-off urban schemes have brought new styles to cater for local conditions and street character. For instance, we have put modern-style metal benches in some towns.
The usual seat or bench will be 1-1.8m long and between 450mm and 600mm wide, with a seat height of about
450mm. In some of our towns, the frame is painted to match other street furniture. Although useful, arm rests can cause problems for people using wheelchairs or prams.
Product
Steel-and-timber seat
Cast-iron ends and timber seat
Cast-iron ends and timber bench
Aluminium bench
Wrought-iron seat
Timber seat
Description
Standard welded boxed steel frames with timber panels
Ornate (decorative) painted castings and slatted timber
Painted iron supports and slatted timber
Plain ribbed metal
Ornate painted frame
Jointed frame and slats

5: Street furniture
The design and siting of street lighting can affect how people use, so it must be carefully considered when planning the streets. Designs should always complement the streetscape. Our policy is to use lighting that is suitable to the character of the local area, is energy efficient, and limits unnecessary light spill.
By law we must provide street lighting (Highways
Act 1980 (Section 97)). We follow the guidance in the British Standards (BS 5489 2003) for providing and designing lighting, which guarantees that street lighting is properly designed and installed. Lighting helps to keep road users safe, and helps to reduce crime and the fear of crime. We have adopted the national standard that 98% of our lighting is always fully working.
All steel columns are painted green, except in conservation areas and some town centres, where they are painted black. We monitor advances in technology to ensure we have the most up-to-date lighting, minimising light pollution and ensuring areas are properly lit.
New lighting follows these product guidelines:
•
Residential streets: plain, understated standard steel, six-metre columns with the latest luminaire, mounted without a bracket arm.
•
Heritage area replacements: matching with the range of cast columns with post-top lantern and steel, ornamental brackets and lantern.
•
Main roads: plain, understated standard steel,
8- or 10-metre simple columns and the latest luminaire.
All lamps meet the appropriate performance requirements for their location as set out in the latest British and European standards. As lighting is replaced, we choose products that give a better colour and are more energy efficient.
Styles of luminaires are usually simple and modern, or have the more ornate designs that suit neighbourhoods with Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Modern products tend to have smooth lines and slim profiles, where light spill can be controlled more easily.
The amount of light in an area depends on column spacing, lamp output and column heights. For wide roads, higher columns are more efficient at giving the spread of light needed from house frontage to house frontage across the street. We try to balance column heights with the size of the street, frontage buildings, road widths and trees.
Several types of columns are in use; some date back to the 1960s and 70s, and these have smooth, stepped and octagonal finishes. Gradually, older pre-cast concrete products will be replaced with steel.
We aim is to provide simple, understated columns, with a small number of special designs in town centres and the core parts of conservation areas.
Lamp columns in areas of high pedestrian flow may need visibility bands, especially if it is not clear where the column and the surface paving meet. In town centres and shop parades, we make allowance for hanging baskets to be fitted and for the electrical control boxes used for Christmas lights.
Facilities for cycles include individual stands placed on the road, and, where there is space, covered shelters near transport interchanges such as railway forecourts. The standard equipment is the hooped frames cycle stand known as Sheffield type and these should include a tapping rail, which alerts blind and partially-sighted people to its presence. Widths are
600-1,200mm, depending on the locality.
When choosing finishes, we consider the chipping and scratching that will occur as a result of inevitable rough treatment. Nylon-coated treatments and stainless steel are the most hard wearing. All stands should have visibility bands, but these are particularly important on stands at the end of arranged rows.
Cycle shelters are most effective when support frames and roof canopies are elegant. Because cycle shelters are large, design is important. Slender frames and clear polycarbonate canopies create safe, sheltered and highly visible storage.

5: Street furniture
Guard rails encourage pedestrians to cross the road at specific crossing points. They have traditionally been used to separate pedestrians and vehicles for safety reasons.
Many types of rails are used around the borough, but there are plans to choose a standard manufactured style. It is proposed that the simplest style is used to minimise visual impact.
Where new traffic schemes are planned, we will consider whether we need guard rails. Controls like this can reinforce the impression of priority for vehicles, to the exclusion of other street users. Also, funnelling pedestrians along long, railed routes can be dangerous if pedestrians challenge the enclosures and cross the road in unsafe places. This is especially so in town centres, where footfall is high. To assess locations to see if rails are necessary, we will carry out surveys and safety audits.
References:
Department for Transport:
•
Inclusive mobility - a guide to best practice on access to pedestrian and transport infrastructure
(2002)
•
Requirements for road restraint systems TD19/06
•
Roadside features advice note TA57/87
British Standards:
•
BS7818:1995 Specification for pedestrian restraint systems in metal.
Town-centre signs give information on walking and cycling routes to significant destinations. In Bromley, there is a more complex network of signs where destinations are included in sequences so that the whole journey is marked. These green-and-white signs are usually on existing street furniture such as lamp columns. Bromley’s pedestrian centre has cast-aluminium finger signs on ornamental columns to point directions.
Council policy on signs limits the use of business names. Shopping centres such as The Glades and
The Pavilion are signed, since large numbers of visitors are expected and signs can help reduce unnecessary detours.
Signage can be expensive, as large numbers of signs are needed to create a worthwhile network of routes and destinations. We need to consider how best to sign pedestrian routes as part of a coordinated approach to encouraging walking and cycling across the borough.
We are responsible for naming roads, and installing and maintaining street name plates. In the more urban northwest of the borough and in town centres, plates have in the past had black lettering on a white background. Since 1964, when the London Borough of Bromley was formed, the standard format has been white lettering on a green background.
Where possible, we put name plates on frontage buildings, boundary enclosures or other structures to reduce street clutter. This needs the agreement of building owners, and approval will be especially valuable where locations improve lines of sight.
Where plates are put near boundary planting and hedges, we will keep vegetation cut back.
We put litter bins where they are most needed – in shopping areas, along school and station routes, next to bus stops and at on-street recycling points. Street bins are standard products chosen for sturdiness, simple design, ease of emptying and value for money.
Although there are still some cast-iron bins in rural locations around the borough, most towns and villages have green, circular plastic free-standing or column-mounted ‘pouch’ bins. Our main supplier,
Glasdon, provides these. Litter bins are made from recycled plastic that is durable, does not need maintenance, does not deteriorate, and is difficult to vandalise. The surface is textured, making it difficult to graffiti.
If necessary, these bins can be removed for special events or in response to emergencies. We have recently introduced Glasdon Gemini recycling bins and Glasdon Evolution smoking litter bins in various streets. See also our information on on-street recycling banks, available on our website.

5: Street furniture
We put salt bins in areas where the pavement and road needs to be gritted in cold and icy weather. The types of bins used in the borough are vandal resistant and are Bromley green or yellow, with the Bromley logo.
The bins are not for use on private property; salt in these bins is used on roads and pavements that are not on the priority salting routes. See also our information on winter gritting operations, available on our website.
We use bollards and posts to prevent cars from parking in certain areas. Two types of bollards have gradually become standard for public spaces in the borough. We generally use cast-iron or heavy-duty polyester circular casts in urban and suburban areas, and square timber in more rural locations, particularly along grass verges. There may be variations to this if special treatment is needed for any reason.
Traditionally, bollards in towns took their cue from cast-iron ‘cannon’ style designs. The Manchester style used in Bromley is a refinement of it.
More recently, a polymer version has replaced the cast iron, making it easier to handle, able to withstand vehicle impact without shearing, and removing the need to repaint, since the colour is created by the polymer and is not painted on. The section between the cap and the collar is useful for placing the yellow visibility band.
Timber posts are used on grass verges, commons and greens. These softwood or native hardwoods can accommodate circular poles to provide continuous but low impact railings. Although visibility bands are needed less, reflective discs can be useful in areas where vehicles turn.
In some exceptional cases, extra resistance is needed to protect structures, usually where there is a history of large vehicles turning or manoeuvring.
Bell bollards can be effective in isolation, but can be a trip hazard and their position must be carefully considered.
Traffic bollards, or illuminated guide posts (IGPs), give advice on the direction of traffic and junctions, central reservations and traffic islands. These bollards are usually made of moulded plastic with a ‘keep left’ sign facing the traffic, and the Traffic Signs Regulations require them to be lit inside or placed near lighting.
As reflective technology improves, it may be possible to provide adequate visual notices for drivers without electric lighting. Smaller bollards are coming onto the market, which make IGPs less bulky and intrusive. These products will become more suitable for junctions and less prone to impact damage and vandalism.
Department for Transport (DfT) regulations sets out the requirements for road signs. Signs that do not meet these requirements need to be authorised by the DfT.
We try to put up only signs that are essential for road users and minimise the number of posts needed to show this information. We ensure that the finish of posts and backs of signs coordinate with surrounding street furniture. Signs smaller than 0.6m square should usually be put on lighting columns, or on existing furniture and building frontages.
Sign faces are covered with a coating that protects them against fly-posting and graffiti.
References
Department for Transport:
•
Traffic signs regulations and general directions
(2002)
•
Traffic signs manual
•
Local transport note 1/94.

5: Street furniture
Together with TfL, we work with suppliers, designers and power companies to install safe signal and control boxes that comply with regulations and are positioned to avoid obstruction and clutter. We also plan their position to be sensitive to the setting of listed buildings or other heritage features. We minimise cabinets, signal heads and poles wherever possible.
Where necessary, low-profile anti-graffiti and flyposting finishes can be applied to cabinets so that graffiti and fly-posters can be easily removed.
Cabinets are the same colour as other street furniture in the area.
References
Department for Transport:
•
Traffic signs regulations and general directions
(2002)
•
Local Transport Note 1/98, Installation of traffic signals and associated equipment.
There are information boards across the borough, usually in shopping parades and at transport hubs.
They give a range of local information and have been put at places where they will intrude as little as possible visually and physically, on the streetscape.
References
Department for Transport:
•
Traffic signs regulations and general directions
(2002)
•
Inclusive mobility - a guide to best practice on access to pedestrian and transport infrastructure
(2002)
Variable message signs (VMS) display time-specific messages in electronic displays. VMS can show a variety of symbols and text messages (including colour), and signs that drivers must read, assess and respond to immediately. When using VMS, consideration needs to be given to the effects of lighting on other parts of the townscape.
VMS can be used to warn drivers that their vehicles are over height, or to display other relevant information. Currently, VMS is being trialled in
Orpington to display the number of parking spaces available in specific car parks.
References
Department for Transport:
•
Regulation 58 of the Traffic sign regulations and general directions (2002).
Some CCTV cameras are mounted on buildings and other structures, but others have to be mounted on masts. To reduce their impact, the masts and the control equipment, which is in cabinets, are finished to coordinate with other street furniture.
Bus shelters are the responsibility of Transport for
London. We are asked to comment on locations, and companies that wish to advertise on bus shelters must get our consent as the local planning authority. TfL decides their appearance and siting. We regularly liaise with TfL to ensure bus stops and shelters are put in the most appropriate places.

5: Street furniture
We pride ourselves on our reputation as a ‘green borough’. Although we are not legally obliged to provide street trees, public consensus and civic pride ensure their continued presence in our borough.
Trees provide seasonal interest, shade and a softening contrast to the buildings. They can help to reinforce local character, make attractive places for living and working, and help people enjoy public places. They also provide shade and modify the local climate by trapping pollutants.
Where footway widths are limited, we choose ornamental varieties of trees. These tend to have restricted canopies and root growth, and are less likely to damage pavement surfaces, boundary walls, and frontage buildings. Such specimens are less expensive than medium-sized varieties, but have a lifespan of less than 50 years.
At places such as large public greens and roundabouts, we use specimen plants as local landmarks. Native and long-used semi-native species are important in the local landscape of broadleaved trees which characterise Bromley and provide valuable wildlife habitats.
Birch, beech, ash, horse-chestnut, oak, hornbeam,
Norway maple and London plane are medium-to-large trees, which will grow so large that they are unsuitable for footways, but valuable on open verges. Smaller trees, such as hawthorn, cherry and birch, will be appropriate for streets and will create vital corridors for birds and insects. They are particularly useful between parks and other open spaces.
Planters and hanging flower baskets soften the roadside environment, screen traffic movement, and help to minimise noise, dust and fumes. Plants create a colourful, attractive and more healthy environment.
However, from time to time, the cost of maintenance and watering still needs to be reviewed against other priorities to ensure our tree stock remains healthy.
Flowers and plants provide a splash of colour to our streets. We plant herbaceous displays on greens in well-used public places, such as in town centres and along bus routes and junctions. We aim to develop more areas for sustainable planting.
Plants are changed with the seasons to provide yearround displays. Shrubs and flowers are also on show in planters and containers. There are free-standing diplays in retail areas from late spring to early autumn, and our planting contract includes watering. Our commitment to attractive roadside displays has led us to win many national ‘Britain in Bloom’ and regional
‘London in Bloom’ awards in recent years.
Art works can help make places more distinctive and can support regeneration and economic growth. We want public-space landmarks that will define places and space, bringing life and colour to our villages and towns. We encourage ideas and schemes for temporary and permanent art works and enter partnerships to help us develop this.
We do not collect trade refuse unless we have an agreement with companies to do this. Commercial and retail bulk waste is placed in large, moveable containers that companies pay for as part of their operational costs. See our business recycling webpage for information on companies that will provide a collection service.
It is important to ensure that public litter bins are not used for domestic or trade waste. Our inspectors will regularly check waste material and may take enforcement action if litter bins are misused. Trade bins are clearly marked with information on the company’s responsibility and advice on lifting and emptying.

5: Street furniture
Most cabinets are owned and maintained by utility companies, mainly telecommunications. They are mild-steel boxes placed along footways and at street junctions. They must be sited so as not to obstruct pedestrians.
We are asked to give our views on where these are placed to ensure they do not compromise public access and risk public safety, but in most cases they can be installed without our formal permissions.
Utility cabinets can be a target for graffiti and flyposting, so we have entered into a partnership agreement with some companies to ensure graffiti is removed in a timely fashion.
There are a number of telephone boxes in the borough, and they are a mix of traditional and modern designs. BT or New World own and service the cabinets and equipment.
In conservation areas, we aim to replace BT boxes with the traditional and iconic Gilbert Scott red boxes.
New World kiosks are painted black in conservation areas, instead of their usual orange. Since they are mainly in busy areas such as high streets, we need to ensure they do not obstruct pedestrians or affect the look of adjacent frontage buildings and entrances.
The Telecommunications (services for disabled people) Regulations 2000 require that most telephone boxes are reasonably accessible by wheelchair-users.
The traditional red post box is instantly recognisable, and some are listed. They are the responsibility of
Royal Mail, although we are asked to approve the location of new boxes and pouch boxes (mounted on post boxes), and we are always aware of the extra street clutter these can create.
Planning consent is not normally required for a post box or self-service stamp machine, but it is required for pouch boxes. Listed-building consent is required for removing listed post boxes, or those set in or next to a listed building.
Royal Mail is responsible for cleaning and repainting post boxes, which includes removing graffiti.
Street activity can add to the vibrancy, life and colour of town streets, villages and shop parades. Tables, chairs, plant pots and umbrellas create bright, lively areas throughout the day and into the evening. Such activity can persuade other businesses to move in and the visual interest can reduce traffic speeds.
We licence pavement cafes according to set criteria for eating, drinking or selling goods. We also grant licences for street activities, including street trading, to control the type and style of activity, helping ensure the streets stay neat and clean. Street trading creates another layer of shopping activity, increasing choice for local shoppers and enriching the character of the street.
Street advertising is a valid and potentially financially valuable part in business areas such as town centres.
Good designs can add vitality and interest to the street scene. New technology means advertisers can use computer graphics and LED displays. Roadside advertising usually requires planning consent.

Chapter
Streetscape Manual

6: Area details
Locations: Bromley, Chislehurst, Penge and parts of Beckenham. The street furniture in town centres in conservation areas is usually painted black.
Furniture
Seats
Lamp columns
Paving
Bollards
Litter bins
Pedestrian signage
Railings
Cycle stands
Materials
Timber slats, cast supports
6m and 8m decorative design
Footway range
Cast-cannon style
Standard plastic and cast iron
Cast aluminium or pressed aluminium sheet
Guard rails
Sheffield hoop
Examples
Streetmaster, Bromley pedestrian area; cast seats, Penge High Street
8-10m ornamental drop lantern, bracket and column, North Village
Stone, clay, modular slabs, concrete blocks, ASP
Manchester pattern in polyester and steel with cast capping in the pedestrian area
Glasdon; free-standing circular bin in green, dark green or black; column-mounted bins in green; smoking litter bins and recycling bins
Cast and steel finger posts in the pedestrian area
Post and rail in various town centres
(green and black)
Coated steel hoops with kick rail where in open paving

6: Area details
Locations: Orpington, West Wickham. The street furniture in retail centres will usually be painted black or green.
Furniture
Seats
Lamp columns
Paving
Bollards
Litter bins
Pedestrian signage
Railings
Cycle stands
‘Keep left’ signs
Materials Examples
Tmber with steel frame, cast supports and metal benches
Two classic cast patterns used around the borough, standard steel-frame product, benches in
Orpington High Street, benches in
Penge
Standard 6m, 8m or 10m columns Latest versions of standard steel street lighting plus specials such as on Bromley South forecourt
Footway range Modular slabs, concrete blocks,
ASP
Cannon style
Standard plastic
Steel and aluminium finger signs
Manchester pattern in polyester
Glasdon free-standing circular bin and pouch bin fixed to lamp columns in green or black
Signs and information boards in
Orpington High Street and other towns
Guard rail
Sheffield hoop
Guide posts
Pole and rail, and standard pedestrian rail panels
Coated steel hoops with kick rail in open paving
Internally illuminated plastic, standing flag option and hooped sign with ground uplighters
Locations: Farnborough, Downe, Cudham. Street furniture in identifiable centres, conservation areas and semirural settlements will usually be painted black or dark green.
Furniture
Seats
Lamp columns
Paving
Bollards
Litter bins
Materials
Timber with steel frame and castiron pattern
Standard and ornamental cast 6m columns
Footway range
Cannon style and timber
Standard plastic and cast iron
Examples
Standard steel frame, classic pattern, cast-iron and timber benches
Latest pattern steel columns and luminaires
Stone, modular slabs, concrete blocks, bitumen macadam
Manchester and square timber posts
Standard Glasdon free-standing and pouch bins, and fixed cast iron

6: Area details
Furniture
Pedestrian signage
Railings
Materials
Ornamental signs, finger posts, way-marker posts
Guardrail
Examples
Village signs, timber or metal posts and signs
Metal and concrete post and rail, standard guardrailing
Locations: Beckenham Road, Bromley Road, Croydon Road, Anerley Road, Main Road. Street furniture in highly visible roadside environments will be olive, dark green and black.
Furniture
Seats
Lamp columns
Paving
Bollards
Litter bins
Pedestrian signage
Railings
Traffic islands
‘Keep left’ sign
Planters
Materials
Timber with steel frame
Standard 8m or 10m columns
Footway range
Cannon style and timber post
Standard plastic
Major signs
Guardrail
Standard island design
Illuminated signage
Flower and shrub containers
Examples
Standard box steel frame and timber slats
Latest pattern steel columns and luminaires
ASP, modular slabs, concrete blocks, bitumen macadam
Manchester and square timber posts
Glasdon free-standing and pouch bins
Borough entry signs
Standard guardrail
Concrete and steel construction
Reflective flags, illuminated box
Timber, GRP, concrete and steel products
Locations: Anerley, Penge, Clock House, Elmers End. Streets in the northwest of the borough and retail parades.
Furniture
Seats
Lamp columns
Materials
Standard seat
Examples
Standard box steel frame and timber slats
Latest standard pattern 6m lighting
Paving
Ornamental 6m column and teardrop lantern
Footway range
Bollards
Litter bins
Railings
Cannon style
Standard plastic
Guardrail
ASP (pink or grey), modular slabs, concrete blocks, bitumen macadam
Manchester pattern
Glasdon free-standing circular and pouch bins
Standard guardrail

6: Area details
Locations: Residential streets around town centres such as West Wickham, Orpington, Chislehurst, Biggin Hill,
Farnborough. Most of the residential areas in the borough.
Furniture
Seats
Lamp columns
Paving
Bollards
Litter bins
Railings
Materials
Standard steel and timber
Standard lighting
Footway range
Cannon style and timber posts
Standard plastic
Post and rail
Examples
Box steel frames and timber slats
Latest pattern 6m columns and luminaires
ASP, bitumen macadam
Manchester bollards and square timber posts
Glasdon free standing circular and pouch bins
Timber post and tubular steel rail
Locations: Shire Lane, Layhams Road, Crockenhill Road, Cudham Lane. Rural roads and lanes.
Furniture
Seats
Lamp columns
Paving
Bollards
Signage
Railings
Materials
Timber
Standard lighting
Footways
Timber
Directions
Post and rail
Examples
Timber benches and seats
Standard pattern lighting
Bitumen macadam or planings
Timber posts with reflective discs
Iron direction finger posts to be retained and refurbished
Concrete or timber posts and steel tube
There are areas where the materials used are adapted according to local preference.
Some areas, such as Park Langley Conservation Area, have special material finishes essential to the character and local interest of the place. Red and orange clay footway pavers are an integral part of the Garden City streetscape design. The location of listed buildings may also require special consideration of materials choice.
The planning acts place a duty on local councils to preserve and enhance conservation areas. Street materials and furniture add to local character, and what they contribute to the quality of the streetscape is a major factor when planning new highway schemes.
In these areas, materials, treatments and ongoing maintenance must reflect nature-conservation interests.

6: Area details
In these areas, materials, treatments and ongoing maintenance must take into account matters of natureconservation interest.
Natural England is creating a manual for work in
AONBs, which will have implications for materials and treatments. The Kent Downs AONB unit have also produced guidance. Details are available from
Bromley’s Heritage and Urban Design team.
Unesco will decide on the ‘Darwin at Downe’ bid for
World Heritage status in 2010. The proposed area covers 10 square km and may include a larger buffer zone, which is in the process of being identified. The
Department of Culture, Media and Sport will present the bid and will help prepare an overall management plan, including a design statement to cover managing of the roadside environment.
Special attention needs to be given to sites where archaeological finds have been made and early settlements documented. Any work must consider all aspects of construction, including trail trenches and site monitoring, to establish local significance and prevent losing artefacts and heritage value.
It is important to highlight schemes and work falling within designated areas of built or nature conservation, plus non-statutory areas of local importance, before the design stage. Materials and work practices must consider the special interest of the sites.
Design and working practices must consider expert ecological, arboricultural and landscape management advice. Imported material, the source of new materials and ongoing site management will all need to be assessed to make the most of the natural world.
It is important to contact Bromley’s Heritage and
Urban Design team for schemes that affect protected natural sites and the proposed World Heritage Site.

Chapter
Streetscape Manual

7: Town centres
Beckenham has pleasant streets and a winding High
Street with many Victorian buidings. The High
Street runs from St George’s Church and the green to the war memorial roundabout. The town centre is relatively unchanged since the late 1800s, and has important landmark public buildings. The streets have many cafes and restaurants, where tables and chairs edge onto narrow pavements.
Residential streets lead onto the centre, with parks a short distance away. Mature trees are prominent around the church. The river Beck runs behind properties, where back alleys and courts provide small areas for parking and bin stores to shop premises.
Sainsbury’s provides multi-storey parking.
•
Retain traditional street-furniture styles.
•
Remove unnecessary signs.
•
Consolidate the product range and ensure coordination.
•
Create a network of pedestrian signage.
•
Consider planting and greenery in the High
Street.
•
Paint street furniture dark green.

7: Town centres
Product
Paving
Kerbs
Bins
Bollards
Pedestrian guardrail
Street lighting
Material
Brindle concrete blocks replace with square-edge blocks when relaid
Granite and pre-cast concrete
Glasdon free-standing and pouch-style
Manchester pattern supplied by many companies
Standard rails by various companies means a variety of fixings and bars
Comments
Herringbone bond replace in broken bond when relaid
Granite aggregate kerbs are an option
Yellow visibility straps for visual contrast
Heavy-duty polyester with yellow collar for visual contrast
Coordination needed to standardise replacement
Details
100x200x65mm concrete blocks by a major supplier such as Marshall’s
Keyblock, with or without chamber
Granite supplied in set sizes and radii. Textured kerb such as Marshall’s
Conservation Kerb
Glasdon Admiral, Trimline and Gemini bins
Broxap Manchester pattern
Used for supporting
Christmas lights and flower basket brackets
Urbis pattern
Seats and benches
Pedestrian signage
Planting
Street nameplates
Noticeboards
Colour
Pressed aluminium
Urbis product
Dark green BS12B29
By LBB sign contractor Supplier
The town can be seen as comprising three zones, each with its own character and street requirements.
Bromley North: includes Victorian terraces skirting the north of the town, with rows of small shops and restaurants down to Market Square. This forms the Bromley Town Centre conservation area and includes public buildings and others of historical significance.
•
Retain traditional street-furniture styles.
•
Remove unnecessary signs.
•
Consolidate product range and ensure coordination.
•
Create a network of upgraded pedestrian signage network.
•
Paint street furniture dark green.
•
Bromley Central: this is the retail centre between the town parks and residential area, and has a mix of traditional buildings and new developments, including The Glades shopping centre, the library and theatre, and car parks.

7: Town centres
Bromley Central: this is the retail centre between the town parks and residential area, and has a mix of traditional buildings and new developments, including The Glades shopping centre, the library and theatre, and car parks.
•
Create a balance between traditional and modern products.
•
Consider the potential of street advertising.
•
Revitalise the pedestrian area.
•
Consider options for lighting buildings.
•
Provide on-street recycling.
•
Paint street furniture dark green.
•
Bromley South: this is a business area with shops, offices, the railway station, traffic junctions, multi-storey parking, bars and cafes. There are bus- and pedestrian-priority schemes in this area.
Bromley South: this is a business area with shops, offices, the railway station, traffic junctions, multi-storey parking, bars and cafes. There are bus-and-pedestrian-priority schemes in this area.
•
Use the south high street as a template for a more contemporary approach to street design.
•
Consider the furniture needed (eg benches, cycle racks).
•
Provide on-street recycling.
•
Paint street furniture black.
Product
Block paving
Material
Burnt ochre, squareedge concrete replacing brindle, chamfered
Stone paving
Clay paving
Yorkstone from Marshalls quarry; Cairngorn stone also used
Square-edged paver brick and sett, plus tactile version at Market Square crossings
Kerbs
Bins
Granite, aggregate mix and pre-cast concrete
Glasdon free-standing and pouch-style
Bollards (pedestrian area) Urbis product, mild steel and cast caps
Bollards (elsewhere) Cannon pattern supplied by many companies
Pedestrian post and rail Cast ornamental post and tubular rails
Pedestrian guardrail Mild steel panels with vertical rails
Details
100x200x65mm concrete blocks in stretcher bond replacing herringbone bond
Sawn cut and textured
100x200x65mm buff multi-dragfaced paver by Baggeridge Brick (ref
K273-65)
As product ranges
Admiral, Trimline, Gemini and Evolution bins
Pembroke pattern
Broxap Manchester pattern
As Windsor 2 rail pattern from Furnitubes
Various companies and rail designs
Comments
Coloured mortar jointing used around service-box covers
Greenmore Rustic stone used. Cairngorm stone as source
Variation in colour from yellow to dark brown shows bond and avoids monochrome look
Granite in conservation area
Yellow visual band, ‘litter’ and ‘bin it’ logo options
Standard and lockable bollards
Heavy-duty polyester with yellow visibility collar
Painted - looking at polyester option for rails
Not painted

7: Town centres
Product
Street lighting (north town)
Material
6m and 8m ornamental lighting
Details
DW Windsor columns, brackets and lanterns
Produced by LBB sign contractor
Stone facings fixed onto masonry structure
ASF foundry no longer trading
Comments
Oxford and Windsor for
6m, Edinburgh and Strand for 8m
Special basket bracket and finger signs attached
Street lighting (pedestrian area)
Street lighting (south town)
Seats (pedestrian area)
Seats (elsewhere)
Urbis 6m product.
Coordinates with other furniture.
6m and 8m modern style, tapered columns
Streetmaster product
Standard timber with steel and cast-iron frames
Pedestrian signage
(pedestrian area)
Pedestrian signage
(elsewhere)
Planting (pedestrian area planters)
Planting (pedestrian area tree grills)
Urbis product.
Coordinates with other furniture
Green and white finger plates
Purpose-made Yorkstone faced
Cast-aluminium grills in two sections
Planting (trees in town) Street trees have edging surround to soil pit
Planting (plants in town) Shrubs and flowers in constructed planters
Street nameplates
Colour (town)
Colour (south town)
Albany lantern, U bracket and Pembroke column
Urbis lighting columns, brackets and lanterns
Grafton cast-iron seat,
1800mm long
Many suppliers
Pembroke columns and cast aluminium fingers
6m K-Lux lantern, 8m
Maddison column, Wisley bracket, Aramis lantern
Includes LBB logo roundels
Frames painted black, timber treated
Cast finial (ornamental top on post) and collar. White lettering on destinations
Signs fixed to furniture by metal strap banding
Greenmore Rustic stone used
Uplighter units located under plates sections
Variety of plant displays Flowers in seasonal displays. Shrubs for structure
Pressed aluminium plates Made by LBB sign contractor
Dark green BS12B29 All furniture in town, apart from south
Black BS00E53 High street and Elmfield
Road
Other items:
Circular bollards (Bromley
South)
Reconstituted cast concrete and stone
Trent concrete manufacturer
0.9 diameter, patterned surface with separate base

7: Town centres
Chislehurst has linear Victorian shopping parades, which are divided by Chislehurst Common. These pleasant, leafy streets are reminiscent of a country village. Small-scale shop fronts face narrow footways with grass verges and extensive roadside parking under mature trees.
•
Retain traditional street-furniture styles.
•
Remove unnecessary signs.
•
Coordinate signage with existing furniture.
•
Paint street furniture black.
Product
Paving
Kerbs
Bins
Bollards
Guardrail
Lighting
Seats
Material
Brindle concrete blocks; replace with square-edge blocks when relaid
Granite
Details
100x200mm size with chamfered edges
180mm width
Comments
Herringbone bond; replace in broken bond when relaid
Well used but in fair condition
Glasdon free-standing and pouch-style
Cannon style
Admiral and Trimline bins
Manchester pattern by many companies
Cast-ornamental post and tubular rails
8m ornamental columns and lanterns
DW Windsor Edinburgh column, Strand lantern,
Newcastle bracket
Cast-iron pattern with timber slats
Use heavy-duty polyester.
Yellow visibility band
Electrical connection boxes for Christmas lights
Pedestrian signage
Planting trees
Planting plants
Street nameplates
Noticeboards
Colour
Street trees have edge surround to soil pit
Shrubs and flowers in constructed planters
Pressed aluminium plates Made by LBB sign contractor
Urbis product
Black BS00E53

7: Town centres
The town can be divided into three distinct zones, each with its own character and streetscape needs.
North town and Priory conservation area: this is made up of small Victorian shops and cottages around the parish church and Priory Gardens.
Retain traditional street-furniture styles.
•
Remove unnecessary signs.
•
Coordinate signage with existing furniture.
•
Review signage to avoid High Street and direct the public to parking.
•
Paint street furniture black.
•
Walnuts and central high street: inter-war architecture is interspersed with more modern buildings including the 1960s shopping precinct, The Walnuts, which houses the town’s main stores. Most of the shops have residential accommodation and retail storage above.
Walnuts and central high street: inter-war architecture is interspersed with more modern buildings including the
1960s shopping precinct, the Walnuts, which houses the town’s main stores. Most of the shops have residential accommodation and retail storage above.
•
Retain simple, modern street furniture.
•
Remove unnecessary signs.
•
Coordinate signage with existing furniture.
•
Consider pedestrian signage, planting and street advertising.
•
Consider the effectiveness of guardrailing.
•
Paint street furniture black.
•
Southern high street to the war memorial: characterised by wide footways and a central carriageway island, restaurants and food outlets, a war-memorial roundabout and public halls.
Southern high street to the war memorial: characterised by wide footways and a central carriageway island, restaurants and food outlets, a war-memorial roundabout and public halls.
•
Retain simple, modern street furniture.
•
Remove unnecessary signs.
•
Coordinate signage with existing furniture.
•
Consider signage to avoid high street and direct the public to parking.
•
Consider planting, street cafes and advertising opportunities.

7: Town centres
Product
Paving
Kerbs
Bins
Bollards
Guardrail
Lighting
Seats
Pedestrian signage
Planting (trees)
Planting (planters)
Street nameplates
Noticeboards
Colour
Material
Modular concrete
Details
400x400mm slabs,
100x200mm blocks
Comments
Forecourts have mixed treatments
Mix of granite and concrete units
Glasdon
Cannon-style pattern by many companies
Standard steel and alloy panels
Admiral 85-litre; black colour
As Manchester by Broxap and others
Standard products
TCM logo
Heavy-duty polyester
Look at future coordination and possible removal
Simple, modern 8m columns and lanterns
Timber and cast ends for seats and benches
Post with finial
(ornamental top on post) and finger arms
Trees: mainly maples; grills: cast iron
Free-standing plant containers used
Townscape Baltimore range
By LBB sign contractor
Large street trees in grills with brick surround
Pressed aluminium plates Made by LBB sign contractor
Urbis product
Black BS00E53
Includes TCM logo
Black and gold used on furniture
Black with gold lettering
‘Star burnt’ pattern square grills
Remove if damaged
TCM logo used on some furniture
Essentially a 19th-century town centre, with a high-street shop parade, town squares, Royal Watermans’
Almhouses and St George’s Church.
•
Retain traditional street furniture in the high street.
•
Continue modern, stylish furniture in squares off the high street.
•
Remove unnecessary signage.
•
Coordinate signage with existing furniture.
•
Paint furniture black, apart from in town squares.

7: Town centres
Product
Paving high street
Paving ‘triangle’
Material
Brindle-coloured concrete blocks
Modular concrete setts,
Marshalls mistral
Blue coating for blocks
Details
100x200mm blocks, chamfered edges
160x160x80mm granite aggregate textured grey
RAL 5013 sky blue
Comments
Laid in herringbone bond
Laid in circles and sweeping bond
Blue blocks ‘triangle’
Paving blocks ‘triangle’ 200x100x80mm Brindle and charcoal concrete blocks
400x400mm smooth grey Laid in ‘stack’ bond Paving ‘squares’ Modular concrete slabs by
Charcon
Reused granite Kerbs 180mm width Well used but in fair condition
Bins
Bollards (high street)
Bollards (triangle)
Cycle stands (squares)
Seats (triangle)
Glasdon free-standing and pouch style
Various models from the range
Cannon-style pattern by many companies
Circular stainless steel, mitred top
Furnitubes College
Admiral and Trimline bins
Cycle stands (triangles) Hoop-style stainless steel Urban Furnishing
Company
Guardrail
Lighting (high street)
Lighting (triangle)
Lighting (squares)
Seats (town)
Seats (squares)
Cast ornamental post and rail
Simple, modern 10m-high columns and lanterns kW Consult Ltd (electrical consultants)
Wall-mounted lanterns plus uplighter units
Cast and timber seat by various
Stainless steel and timber benches
Stainless steel bench by
Broxap
As Manchester by Broxap Yellow visual band.
Loading-restriction plates fixed
Urban Furnishing
Company
Ref CSS6500
As Windsor 2 rail pattern from Furnitubes
Heavy-duty product
Factory Furniture, Louvre
Painted
Pedestrian signage
Planting (squares)
Planting (triangle)
No formal network
Trees: Sycamore; grills:
Buderus with uplighters
Trees: Acer platanoides
Globosum and Tilia x euchlora; grills: Broxap
Dublin octagonal
Signage needed
Produced nursery stock as miniature, mop-head form
Semi-mature, root balled
Cast-iron and mild steel two-piece sets

7: Town centres
Product Material
Planting (basket brackets) Fabricated steel quartercircle shape
Street nameplates Pressed aluminium
Urbis product
Dark green BS12B29
Details
By Wanskill Ltd
Standard green-and-white signs
HIP information unit
Comments
Fixed to lamp columns
Noticeboards
Colour
Other items:
Art screen
Stone dinosaurs
Canopy structure
Mural
Clock tower
Contract architect
Contractor
Geraldine Konyn (artist)
Mark Folds (artist)
Stock Woolstencroft
Annabelle Dawson (artist)
Smith of Derby Group
(clock maker)
Philip Cave Associates
McNicholas plc
CLG Electrical (clock electrician)
Woodhouse UK (product design)
A mix of 19th-century and inter-war buildings, interspersed with modern developments. The high street, with
Glebe Way and Station Road, contains medium to small retail units, with larger foodstores and key multiples.
Sainsbury’s has multi-storey parking.
•
The A232 is now part of the TfL network, so we must be sure to take a coordinated approach to maintaining
Council-managed side streets.
•
Monitor TfL proposals for the high street and Glebe Way.
•
Consider street furniture, signage, planting, advertising and pedestrian movement at the junctions with the
A232.
Product
Paving (Station Road)
Paving (side streets)
Kerbs
Bins
Bollards
Guardrail
Material
Modular paving
ASP and bitmac
Details
400x400mm concrete slabs and 100x200mm brindle blocks
Some pink ASP used.
Bitmac has gravel aggregate dressing
Concrete with some granite
Freestanding and pouch Glasdon products
Manchester pattern Some have yellow collar
Post and rail
Comments
All grey components used when repaved
Kerbing looks past its best

7: Town centres
Product
Cycle racks
Cycle shelters
Lighting (Station Road)
Lighting (side streets)
Seats
Planting (trees)
Planting (planters)
Planting (garden by junction)
Street nameplates
Noticeboards
Borough entry sign
Village sign
Neighbourhood sign
Colour
Material
Sheffield hoop
10m columns
Various styles, concrete and steel
Timber benches and cast iron with timber pattern
Generally birch
Brick planters in Station
Road
Shrubs and flowers
Details
Steel hoop with cycle parking signage
Modern style
Generally 5m high
Timber seats by grass verges. Iron pattern in
Station Road
Standard pattern green and white
Urbis product
Pressed aluminium
Bromley ‘welcome’ with town-twinning information
Aluminium sign on column support
Cast-iron and steel sign Painted sign
West Wickham grey-andgreen sign
Aluminium panel
Dark green
Comments
Updated by residents’ association
Consider update of borough ‘welcome’