Rockets

Ha ha...well maybe we/I stop characterising those behaviours when those behaviours stop being the go to position by many of the people who have liked your comment - you know who you are!!! And I must admit your calling out of irksome characterisations is massively undermined when you use an irksome characterisation to make your point......somewhat hypocritical don't you think?

Anyone know what is going into the old bank in Dulwich Village? Definitely work going on inside it.

Oh my...the LTN lounge police are really showing their colours aren't they - it's really quite sad that people think this type of behaviour is acceptable nowadays as they try to suppress discussion just because they are happy with (and no doubt directly benefitting from) the measures? How they all jump in and try to say "oh this is not about East Dulwich" yet never police any other thread that talks about issues not immediately and directly linked to SE22 postcodes only. And Jeni - the only link I have with One Dulwich is that I signed up to their email list and one of those 2000+ dots on the map of Dulwich is my registration - beyond that I have never engaged with them so if you are trying to paint me as one of the people behind it you are gravely mistaken. Perhaps you might want to ask the same question of some of the residents groups on Melbourne Grove and groups like Clean Air Dulwich about their relationships with, and discussions with, the council! Bottom line is that there are many on this forum who hate to hear that their beloved LTNs may not be as universally popular as they think and are terrified that groups like One Dulwich exist and are now, finally, getting a hearing with the council and what that might mean for their nice quiet streets. They are terrified of anything that might level the playing field because they know what the outcome is if the council starts actually properly analysing what is fair and equitable to everyone. With Cllr Rose leaving this might be the chance for the council to repair the damage she, and her team, did and rebuild some bridges with many parts of the community.

I think that is what happens when people lobby to have threads lounged. There always used to be one thread where everything could live on LTNs but that has now been buried and so really all that is happening is those that spend their time trying to get something lounged are just reaping what they sow and admins rules on needing dedicated news etc means there can no longer be a single discussion thread as there was before because it gives those who lobby to get things lounged to say it has gone off topic from the title.

I think the problem is that there is now such a huge gap between older more established artists who have a huge back catalogue of work and newer artists. The music industry has become more fickle as its audience is more interested in individual Tik-Tok tracks than albums and because no one can afford to tour (unless you are a well established artist already) then artist shelf-life is greatly diminished. Headliners need a body of work that everyone knows - just look at the reaction the Foos got in their surprise slot this year. Also, there are so many people going to Glastonbury now that you need a huge name to fill the hill in front of the Pyramid stage. I remember going in 2004 and Elbow were playing the Pyramid stage mid-afternoon and there was hardly anyone there (which was good because we could get to the front) but then James Brown on the Sunday at a similar time was rammed. I also used to go to Coachella and so much of Glastonbury seems now to have adopted some of the more negative elements of that festival - where being seen there or saying you were there has become more important than actually being there - the negative effect of social media. I suspect Elton will go done as one of the all time great headline acts and I do wish I had been there - in the same way that I was glad I saw Bowie, James Brown and Van Morrison over the years.

What must be really galling for the pro-lobby is that three years after it was set-up One Dulwich is finally getting traction. Now Cllrs McAsh, Newens and Leeming May only be paying lip service by meeting but with this meeting, funding for future projects shelved, Sadiq blaming Boris and urging residents to challenge bad LTNs there is a chink in the LTN armour and maybe, with the mayoral elections fast approaching Labour HQ are concerned transport (LTNs, ULEZ expansion, TFL funding) issues could become part of the narrative and maybe they will start listening to and addressing resident concerns. And remember One Dulwich only came about because there was a section of the Dulwich community (2100 postcode identified sign-ups) that felt they were being ignored by the council in favour of those residents and others who had vested interests in seeing LTNs rollout and be seen to be successful. Maybe it will come to nothing but it is encouraging Cllr McAsh is engaging and promising answers.

As I pointed out to you it does relate to East Dulwich….but you know don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story and all that….keep trying….

Oh dear Bels - you really are getting desperate aren't you? What on earth are you scared of? Does it annoy you so much that people may have an opinion that differs from yours that you feel the need to supress that viewpoint? These attempts to get things lounged constantly reflect very poorly on you and the other pro-LTN lobbyist "lounge-police". Here's a piece of advice: If it bores you so much try not to engage. P.S. Last time I looked East Dulwich Grove was in East Dulwich, Cllr McAsh is still the Goose Green councillor (a ward within East Dulwich) and the incomplete data relates to many roads in East Dulwich - so the discussions do, in fact, relate to East Dulwich. Maybe you want to retract your brazen attempt to get the thread lounged?

Problem is that the music industry is in turmoil and there is a massive dearth of current "headline" talent but the main stages at Glastonbury have always been about heritage acts (in some shape or form). But look beyond the Pyramid and Other Stage and there was a plethora of diverse musical talent on show (the schedule this year was phenomenal for the choice) - but that was always the point (certainly from my experience at the event in previous years) the things you discovered by accident when wandering between the two or three headline acts you had to see on the main stages. Problem is the event is so painfully white, middle-class and middle-aged - Dulwich is always very quiet during Glasto weekend!!! 😉 I always laugh when I used to see cars parked in the Dulwich area with their Glastonbury car park stickers in the windows like a badge of honour - most people tear it off the moment they leave. There were a couple of cars that still had the stickers from many years - like aircraft kills painted onto the side of a WW2 fighter! I had friends who even kept their wrist-bands on for weeks after the event finished - I was like, really......who are you trying to impress? And remember they had to increase security at the behest of the local council because the fence-jumping had become such a problem, they reckon over 100,000 jumped the fence in 2000 and they cancelled the 2001 event so they could improve security.

I do wonder what will happen when the Lordship Lane contra-flow comes into effect as this will overlap the A205 works at Croxted for a few days at least. Pretty sure Crystal Palace Road will be used as a diversionary route by many during the 5 months of work.

DuncanW - based on Admin's guidance (it needs to be new information and/or breaking news and relates to an East Dulwich LTN) it is perfectly within the rules for this part of the forum - so, by all means, keep moaning about it...and by default pushing it to the top - doh!!! 🤦‍♂️ Very glad Cllr McAsh is engaging with One Dulwich it will be interesting to see what comes of it (if anything as I suspect Cllr McAsh is often told to toe the party line by Southwark/Southwark Labour HQ). As much as some of the usual suspects would very much like any debate on LTNs to be suppressed it's clear there are a lot of Dulwich residents that are demanding answers from the council and councillors and are not happy to accept the nonsense narratives those on the pro-LTN lobby (who know who you are) would like everyone to believe. As Alice says...it is very much not over and One Dulwich did ask some very relevant questions. We got our OneDulwich leaflet through our door a day or so ago so good to see they are keeping it top of mind for residents (for those of you on the pro-LTN lobby side who don't live in Dulwich, or Southwark for that matter - ahem click on the link to see what the leaflet looks like! 😉 )

Interesting update from them. Campaign Update | 27 June 1. Meeting with Southwark’s new cabinet member for streets One Dulwich met Cllr James McAsh, Southwark’s new cabinet member for the climate emergency, clean air and streets (and ward councillor for Goose Green), on 23 June. Dulwich Village ward councillors (Cllrs Newens and Leeming) were also present. The meeting lasted an hour. Why the LTNs don’t work We explained to Cllr McAsh that One Dulwich is an apolitical grassroots campaign, run by volunteers, with more than 2,000 supporters. We said that: we fully support the Council’s policies of reducing car use, reducing carbon emissions, and making cycling and walking safer, but that the LTNs across Dulwich are not achieving these aims. Instead, they displace traffic, delay buses (which are key to reducing car use), damage local shops and businesses, and discriminate against vulnerable groups, especially those with disabilities; many of the roads that have taken the displaced traffic are roads with schools, with high numbers of children walking, cycling and scooting along them; Southwark’s data on traffic and air quality is incomplete, hard to access, and hasn’t been updated since September 2022. The Dulwich Village junction We said that, in an attempt to find a compromise solution, we wanted the Council to: amend the 24/7 closure of the junction to timed restrictions, in line with the rest of Dulwich Village (and in line with the Council’s vision of Dulwich as a “school travel zone”) – although we pointed out that this on its own would not solve the problem of peak-hour congestion, caused by traffic displacement, on roads like Croxted Road, Burbage Road, and East Dulwich Grove, for which mitigations are needed; open the junction at all times for Blue Badge holders, and for health professionals visiting vulnerable people at home (for example, GPs, community nurses and midwives, and carers). We pointed out that various council officers have, over the past year, put in writing that the Council is investigating the potential for access for vulnerable groups. We also said that, despite repeated requests, the Council has never done an audit of how the health and social care needs of Blue Badge holders are impacted by the junction closure. Cllr McAsh’s response Cllr McAsh said that: there is no plan to revisit the decision to close the Dulwich Village junction in the near future – although he agreed that, in principle, everything can always be amended; he would look at the issue of bus delays on LTN boundary roads like Croxted Road, Dulwich Common (the South Circular) and East Dulwich Grove; he would take up the issue of incomplete data; he advised business-owners to raise concerns with ward councillors, but agreed that shops and businesses should be consulted on issues that affect them; he wanted us to email him the various written assurances made by council officers about the potential for access for vulnerable groups and those who care for them; he would come back to us with a substantive response to all the issues we had raised in two months’ time. When we queried why his investigations would take so long, he said that he would respond sooner if possible. As the meeting concluded, we said that One Dulwich will continue campaigning unless and until the Council finds a better and fairer solution that takes into account the health and social care needs of all groups of people. 2. New One Dulwich leaflet Please see our new leaflet, which is being distributed by volunteers across Dulwich over the next few days. If your road hasn’t yet been leafleted, and you can help, please email [email protected]. Thank you for your support.

Amended accordingly...5 months of chaos and disruption.

The councillors are in a difficult position and have definitely taken a step back in terms of communication and engagement with their constituents but who can blame them - they created a big issue for themselves and they are politicians so they don't like to be held accountable. They all (bar Rahda Burgess) backed the controversial Streetspace/LTN measures when they were first announced and many doubled-down and backed them despite many of their constituents being negatively affected by them and opposing them. It felt very much like a three-line whip from the powers that be and I am sure many councillors could see the negative impact the measures were having on constituents but were unable to speak their mind. In the same way they used covid as the smokescreen to roll out the measures they used it as the reason not to formally engage with constituents or give constituents a platform to voice their views - councillors were happy to embrace arms-length politics because it allowed them to try to control the narrative - some would wholeheartedly endorse the views of the most rabid supporters of the measures but block and deposition anyone who dared to question them and they could because they knew constituents no longer had the platform to engage, Meanwhile opposition parties would be more than happy to engage to try to create a platform but being in opposition is easy - it's when you occupy the seat that things get more difficult. And post Covid the arms-length politics has stuck. Cllr McAsh, to his credit, did try to engage on here but you could see it was a thankless task and I suspect when this forum was re-birthed he took the decision not to engage via it. And why wouldn't he - as Cllr Rose found out being the figurehead of a controversial programme comes at a huge political, and no doubt personal, cost And this is not isolated to this issue in this area - unfortunately politics is becoming so polarised that national, regional and local politics are all heading the same way - only engage via carefully curated and approved channels and do everything you can to avoid having to meet the people you represent. Or maybe there is even a more cynical angle which is, and may go to explain why people are saying there are no longer councillor newsletters etc, councillors are only ever present when they want your vote and they don't need your vote right now! You can probably expect to see and hear from them as we head towards the Mayoral elections next year when they will be encouraged to rally support for Sadiq Khan.

That guy rides like an idiot. Often see, him bombing across Turney and up Calton….never looks like he is completely in control of it and riding way too fast - dunno what he has in the back but the speed he hits speed bumps I hope it’s not fragile….

Yeah I saw a group jacking three of them near Alleyns last week. They lift the rear wheel, run with the front wheel on the ground then drop the rear wheel to break the lock and off they go….click, click, click, click

If you see any kids on black bikes, dressed top to toe in black and wearing either a balaclava or mask then treat them with suspicion. When my wife had her phone stolen by one such kid the police said they all wear identical outfits and ride identical bikes so it makes identification very difficult if they are ever caught.

It seems Thames Water are going to be doing extensive works between the Townley and Heber junctions on Lordship Lane starting on July 3rd for five months until the end of November. Lordship Lane will be subject to three-way traffic controlled lights……brace yourselves as it is likely to be chaos.

DKHB - are you still trying to claim that traffic in London was slower years ago? Where are you getting this data from? There is another option - maybe take into consideration that around 11% of all London daily journeys are taken by bus whilst only around 3% are by bike. Stop closing bus lane infrastructure to facilitate bike infrastructure as the bike "revolution" - with all the millions of £ invested in it and only an 11% rise between 2020 - 2022 - is not clearly happening. Time for transport planners in London to have a complete reset and base London traffic planning on a realistic future outlook instead of this utter obsession that somehow London is going to magically turn into a cycle-centric city. It won't and their fanatical obsession with it is killing the city.

Mr Chicken - good on you. It shows a lot about someone if they are prepared to admit they got something wrong and retract something ….shame a few of your cohorts don’t have the emotional intelligence to take a leaf out of your book ;-).

DKHB……what on earth are you talking about…..it hasn’t got any faster in 40 years, not sure where you’re getting your info from because the Hansard link you sent clearly shows it was getting worse comparing 1971 (12.7mph) 1980 (11.9 mph) and 1990 (10.4 mps). Since 1990 it has got even slower to the point where…..it is now officially the slowest city in the world with speeds around 9mph…but you know don‘t let the truth get in the way of a good story and all that…. https://www.tomtom.com/newsroom/explainers-and-insights/london-is-the-worlds-slowest-city/

London is rapidly ceasing to function from a road transport perspective - it's getting ludicrous. And so much focus has been, wrongly, placed on the private car and little thought given to the impact on support for services that support the daily function of our city. For all the blusto about the supposed benefits of a lot of these measures Khan and councils' obsession with trying to make the bike the de facto standard for all city travel has backfired massively. Even the bike rental schemes are proving to be an absolute disaster.

The main problem for buses is that now a lot of the infrastructure for bus lanes (especially in central London and across choke points like bridges) has been repurposed/resized for cycle lanes and buses have been forced to share the road with other traffic as particular points. And in areas like around here bus times have been impacted by the additional congestion caused by LTNs and the push of traffic onto boundary roads - which. more often than not, are the bus routes.

“A bit clumsy”……it was downright disgraceful, let me remind you that you suggested someone needed CBT - and you still have done nothing to correct it. This speaks volumes about you…..and now your erstwhile pro-cycling fanatic Mr Chicken has embarked down a similar abusive path………if all cyclists are like you is it any wonder they have such a bad reputation for being a smidge self-centred? The aerodynamic benefits of the Lycra would be negated by the drag caused by the hair and every Full Kit Wally cyclist knows that you have to shave any excess hair (I mock but I do know friends of mine - who club cycle at the weekends and shave their legs for the aerodynamic benefits - I did laugh when they told me………)

To think of all the money that has been poured into creating new cycle infrastructure and the disruption that has caused to other modes of transport, especially buses, that daily cycle journey growth was a paltry 13% in London between 2020-2022 and that’s including a healthy dose of lockdown cycling and booming delivery businesses that are bike based and were born from the pandemic. And that growth has come from a base (in 2019) where cycling accounted for just 2% of all London daily journeys. https://twitter.com/VincentStops/status/1669590330990112768?s=20 When is TFL going to realise that its approach to modern transportation in this city has to be built around something other than the whims of white, middle class, middle aged male cyclists? How are people like Will Norman still in a job? He promised a cycle revolution, his grandiose claims of huge leaps in the numbers of people cycling was just hot air and blusto. It just isn’t happening in the numbers required to justify the disruption to other transport methods - London is ceasing to function as TFL, the Mayor’s office and councils try to force square pegs into round holes. And like the Lime bike problem it’s being caused by a lack of proper planning and rapid deployment of measures that are just not fit for purpose - clueless leadership who are basing strategic policies on hunches, warped data from cycle lobbyists and research groups that promise a fundamental shift that is just not happening.