Chiara

Southwark Council?s proposal to revert the one way section of Lyndhurst Way and Bellenden Road into two way traffic would be hugely expensive, and likely to exacerbate the situation, rather than alleviate it. I have looked at the plans on Southwark Council?s website - I was one of many people who were unaware of the public consultation on 13 March. I could see immediately that the plans are basically flawed, and moreover inaccurate. Chadwick Road has been confused with Holly Grove. I cannot see the logic of turning Bellenden Road between Holly Grove and Highshore Road into a two way cul de sac. Anyone wanting to have vehicle access will have to do a 3 point turn on the narrow road to get out again. This will include the minibus that takes elderly and sometimes disabled residents to Elim House day centre, and needs to get right to the door. Bellenden Road and the area around has been plagued by road works over the last 2-3 years, from various gas and water companies, and at times we have been unable to cross Bellenden Road shopping area because of the road work barriers. There are going to be more upheavals with the laying of new sewage pipes. Now here is a proposal promising further upheaval for no discernible benefit. All we need are well defined crossings at strategic junctions.

I think the people who started off the Choumert Road meetings after the August Riots got tied up with work & other commitments, and some people couldn't make it on a specific day each month, so it seems to have lapsed. However, if a sufficient number of people were interested in setting up a Neighbourhood Watch, it might be a good idea to discuss. Not sure exactly what a Neighbourhood Watch entails in way of time & commitment. Does anyone know about the set up, & do we liaise with local police?

Dear Barry Last Sunday, for Mother's Day, I arranged to catch a specific train from Victoria, & to be picked up from Haywards Heath on arrival. I knew the SLL was not running on that day, but that half-hourly trains to Victoria were calling at Peckham Rye, platform 3. Five minutes before it ws due I was informed by station staff that the 12.46 had been cancelled. This messed up all my train & pick-up connections. The substitute bus that replaces the SLL on these occasions is a joke. It takes abt 50 minutes to get to Victoria. PR Station staff told people who wanted to get to London Bridge that it wd be quicker to take a train to Lewisham & change there. My conclusion, sadly, is that there's no point trying to go anywhere by train on a Sunday.

Dear Barry Jones I checked Southern Rail website on Saturday 18 Dec around midday,and clicked on to latest information, because I had hoped to travel to Victoria from Peckham Rye. Along with announcement of delays and early closure was a map of the network showing the lines that Southern Rail were attempting to keep open. Although SR was running trains to and from the south coast, the SLL that runs from Victoria to London Bridge was closed. I don't understand why SR was not able to run this line, which must have been less affected by the snow than the longer distance lines. Chiara