Category: Community Safety

What changes are being made to the Village Junction?

This week the council’s contractors have started on the long-planned changes to the layout of the Dulwich Village crossroads.

Many changes have been made to the junction over the years to try to accommodate the many pedestrians, cyclists, motor cyclists, lorries, vans, coaches, buses and cars which use it.  The junction is on a popular road route in and out of the centre of London and for traffic going east/west across south London.  By and large it is a manageable junction – until school term starts.   Then thousands of schoolchildren and their cars, cycles and coaches converge and join in the morning and evening rush.

Changes made in the past to enable the mixed traffic to move more easily have included changing the phasing of the traffic lights, lengthening the time allowed for pedestrians to enter the junction, changing road traffic priorities (several times}, narrowing the entry to Calton Avenue, building a road platform on Court Lane entry, inserting bollards.

Under the previous Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, creating better roads for the fast increasing number of cyclists became a priority.  Cycling Superhighways were developed elsewhere in London as well as ‘Quietways’.  In Southwark, the Mayor encouraged the creation of a ‘Quietway’ between the Elephant & Castle and Crystal Palace.  The route has been planned for over two years and has generally been welcomed north of Dulwich but has met fierce opposition here.  Following extensive consultations and many meetings Southwark Council has resolved to proceed with the Quietway and in the Dulwich section has started with the new layout for the Village junction.  The re-design of the junction is in the following link:  Dulwich Village Junction changes 2017

Changes to Calton Avenue and Turney Road will follow in 2018.

Quietway – delayed??

Residents have received a letter through their doors saying works to install the Quietway will start next Monday 7 August.  This came as a surprise as the Council has not yet decided to proceed with the Quietway.

Council officers have made their final proposals and it is expected that just a rubber-stamp formal decision will be made, as we were previously told, by 27 July by the relevant Councillor.

That decision has not been made, so maybe there are further thoughts being had at the Town Hall.  Maybe Cllr Wingfield whose responsibility it is to make the final decision is having doubts.  Or perhaps he has just been too busy on a host of other matters which have taken precedence.

It seems the letters to residents have come out too quickly and before the decision has been made.  Village Councillor Jane Lyons tells us she expects  a decision TOMORROW and that the works will NOT start on Monday!

Parking – Crowds -Safety -Pollution

We may think of kerbsides as just space on the public highway next to the pavement.  But they are more than that.  Kerbsides include footpaths by the kerb and which might be widened for tree planting and street seating. They include the white posts and green verges we love in Dulwich.

There is great competition for the kerbsides from vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, house occupants, push-chairs, etc. etc.  We know only too well how busy our kerbsides are at times and how they are hazardous for the unwary, the reckless and those of us who are a unsteady because of age, youth or illness.

Southwark Council recognises the need for a sensible management of kerbsides and is consulting on a ‘Kerbside Strategy’.  Southwark’s Kerbside strategy_Feb’17

The Council makes some important points for us to think about.  Among them are:

Demographic Pressure: The population is growing faster in Southwark than expected. At the last census in 2011 it was 288,000 and today is estimated to be 306,000. The government forecasts it will be 370,000 by 2031, an increase of 82,000 or 28% in 20 years!
Parking:  60% of Southwark households don’t own a vehicle, yet parking in the borough takes up an increasing amount of kerbside space. In our streets, however, many households own multiple cars and large ones at that.  Parking is the issue which sparks greatest interest in our streets.  There has to be an improvement in access to and usage of public transport.
Road Safety and the Environment: The Council wants to improve the lives  of older residents and to enable them to live independently for longer. Older people typically drive less and favour public transport. There are increasing numbers of older people in Southwark.  There is a demand for wider footpaths, more frequent and safer pedestrian crossings, accessible bus stops and uncluttered, pleasant neighbourhood centres to sit and relax in.
Traffic Collisions: More people walking or cycling in Southwark are killed or injured than in any other mode of transport. Road traffic accidents are increasing each year.  In 2015 there were over 1,000 in Southwark with 90 fatal ones.

Air quality:  According to the 2015 King’s College University report, up to 9,500 deaths in London each year can be linked to air pollution. Southwark’s road transport emissions are amongst the highest in London. There are a number of sites that exceed legal levels of NO2 (Southwark Air Quality Action Plan, 2013).  At peak traffic periods, Dulwich Village experiences poor air quality, right by the primary schools.

There are many competing demands which we are making and are set out in the Council’s draft strategy.  The council wants our views.

The consultation period on Southwark’s Kerbside Strategy has just started and closes on 28 April.

Herne Hill Velodrome Trust – new Trustees wanted

The Herne Hill Velodrome Trust is seeking new trustees and is particularly keen to see applicants from the local community.  After rescuing the famous velodrome from dereliction and threat of closure, some trustees are retiring and the team needs strengthening.  The Trust has done a fantastic job.  As well as a new track which is increasingly heavily used by both top cyclists and locals including children, a new Pavilion will open soon.

For further information see below:

Herne Hill Velodrome Trust is a charitable and not for profit trust which maintains and develops the Herne Hill Velodrome on Burbage Road as a sustainable  and vibrant community-based facility for healthy recreation, principally, but not limited to, track cycling and mountain biking, accessible to users of all ages, capabilities and abilities from a wide and diverse range of backgrounds.

The Trust is looking for additional Trustees as it moves to take responsibility for the operation of the site now the new pavilion is nearing completion.

All Trustees share collective responsibility for delivering the objects of the Trust, working in line with the requirements of the Charity Commission. The Trust will operate through two bodies – a Trading Company, to oversee the operation of the Track, and a Fundraising Committee to plan a long-term and sustainable financial future for the site.

The Trust is looking for local residents to join the Trust.  it needs people with significant relevant skills, in particular in the operation of a charitable Trust and in fundraising.

More details about the Velodrome are available at  www.hernehillvelodrome.com.

If you are interested or want to discuss what is required, please email our Secretary Trustee, Simon Burton, at sburton@hhvt.org

 

Speeding cars, vans and trucks

Our worries about speeding vehicles in our roads is shared across the borough. Nationally dangerous driving is a big problem and has led to the introduction of the 20mph limit on local roads.

However drivers are having difficulties understanding the issue and continue to drive at higher speeds. Even in our roads, with their multiplicity of schools and nurseries and the many children and older residents, vehicles travel at dangerous speeds.

Southwark Police’s Safer Transport team has been running the Community Roadwatch speed monitoring campaign across the borough. Since launching the scheme at the beginning of this year there has been a lot of roads identified with speeding problems. For the team to cover the roads with speeding problems it needs volunteers to attend the events.

A recent operation carried out on East Dulwich Grove recorded 80 vehicles travelling at speeds over 26mph with one travelling at 71mph. Warning letters were issued to the drivers. A very mild sanction for dangerous driving!

The Roadwatch team needs volunteers for monitoring in Village ward (our ward), where a speeding problem has been identified. Anyone who could volunteer should contact Southwark’s ST team. The contact details are: STT.Southwark@met.police.uk.

 

Village Ward councillors urge reconsideration of the Quietway 7 route through Dulwich Village

Our Village Ward councillors wrote on Monday 23rd May to the new Mayor, new GLA Transport Committee Chair and the new Southwark Cabinet Member responsible for cycling requesting pause and reconsideration of the Quietway 7 route.

From: Lyons, Jane
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2016 12:34 PM
To: ‘mayor@london.gov.uk’; ‘caroline.pidgeon@london.gov.uk’; Wingfield, Ian
Subject: Reconsider Quietway 7 route through Dulwich Village

Dear All

We are writing as ward councillors for Village Ward in Southwark as you are new in post and with responsibility for transport.

As you may be aware Village Ward is currently targeted as part of the Quietways 7 route from the Elephant and Castle to Crystal Palace, running along Calton Avenue, through Dulwich Village junction, and then down through Turney Road.

This section has caused an outcry amongst residents and businesses alike.   The route was visited upon us with no prior consultation or option to change it;  and £000s have been spent in consulting at speed with an unwilling but engaged community in an attempt, so far failed, to make the proposed route an acceptable one.

Key points of objection from within the community are the ineffectiveness of consultation,  loss of parking spaces, and the unnecessary redesign of the main junction in the village, with no apparent or evidenced gains or improvements for cyclists – just a worse deal for everyone else.

As you are new to post we are writing now to ask that Village Ward section of the route of Quietways 7 be reconsidered.  You will have this opportunity to reconsider because we currently await  an outstanding traffic survey of the impact of coaches on a key part of the route and the potential impact of the proposed arbitrary introduction of double yellow lines on every junction in Dulwich.

Finally our understanding is that £600,000 has been allocated specifically for the Quietway route through the ward.  We believe that this money could be much better spent developing an holistic overview and solution to the traffic demands in Dulwich which would be of benefit to all road users including pedestrians.

Yours sincerely

 

Cllr Michael Mitchell, Group Leader, Southwark Conservative Group, Ward Councillor, Village Ward

Cllr Jane Lyons, Deputy Group Leader, Southwark Conservative Group, Ward Councillor, Village Ward

 

Final Chance to respond to the Quietway 7 Consultations.

19th March 2016

Dear Neighbours

This is the final reminder about the Southwark and Lambeth Consultations on Quietway 7.  If you haven’t already responded to the consultation there is still time to respond to this important local consultation.

The closing dates and times are:

Southwark – TOMORROW Sunday 20th March 2016 Midnight

Lambeth – TOMORROW Sunday 20th March 2016 11pm.

The consultations are available online at Southwark Turney Road Quietway Consultation

Southwark Quietway Dulwich Village Junction Consultation

Lambeth Quietway Consultations

Looking at how the decisions were made on the first Quietway in Southwark, individual responses are critical so please encourage all members of your family and local friends to respond.  It is very important that you make a clear YES/NO answer.  A qualified YES or NO with a list of comments will simply be counted as  FULL agreement or as a  FULL objection in the final stats of numbers of supporters or objectors.  The comments will be listed separately with a narrative response.

Plea from Lambeth resident Dawn on behalf of the Dalmore Road Safety Group who have created a petition requesting Lambeth to consult fully through an open meeting and not to proceed with the Quietway 7 route without taking steps to reduce traffic speed and volume on adjacent roads. Her petition is open till 27 April 2016.  Dalmore Road Safety Group Petition  (Technically, the petition is for those who live, work & study in Lambeth but it has been accepting signatures from Southwark residents.  Ignore the live/work/study in Lambeth question if that is not the case & the signature is still accepted.)

An interim consultation report was published at the Southwark Dulwich Community Council last Tuesday InterimQuietwayupdate15Mar16001

We have opened up a page of local responses to the Quietway on our web site:  Local Quietway Responses

Many thanks to all those who have already responded.

Kind regards

 

Turney Road Residents’ Association