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Southwark announce changes to Great Suffolk Street Low Traffic Neighbourhood after concerns were raised by emergency services about access and local residents concerned about increased journey times https://gssstreetspace.commonplace.is/news/changes-to-great-suffolk-street-low-traffic-neighbourhood-29th-april-2021

The council seems to only be advised by 5-6 people running ?local campaigns?, 50 residents on Calton/ ex- councillor on Melbourne and a road planner who works for the council and the Conservative Government?s cash 💴💰...time to ask Private Eye to investigate

Southwark has ambition.... building on green spaces and children?s playgrounds on high rise estates, while providing villagers with squares.

The research was in the ?mini Holland? scheme. A well planned scheme, with equality assessment and with much support from locals. This scheme is always held up as equal to the sad, poorly planned, underfunded and poorly located LTNs in Southwark that were bought in solely as a result of NIMBY groups of wealthy residents. Sure...happy for Southwark to bring in a traffic reduction scheme that actually works. The hypocrisy of Southwark LTNs in wealthy areas, creating squares in an area with parks, huge gardens and a very high percentage ownership of SUVs (do visit Calton Rd) while building on green spaces and children?s play areas on high rise estates would be laughable if it wasn?t so tragic.

Were they also all over the hoardings in Barry Rd near the Barbers at the Peckman Rye end? Also pictures ....same style. I was always entertained on my walk to the Rye.

I imagine the new poster is living in Melbourne, Derwent or Court, much like all 5 of the people who make up Clean Air Dulwich-EDSTN ..which is basically the same group, of course the silly councillors know all five in this group..isn?t one a town planner who designs for the Council? A real campaign for clean air would be raising the terrible idea of plans to build on green spaces with mature trees in the Bells and Brenchley estates, campaigning for local transport, asking for pollution monitoring on all roads and asking why green spaces are being removed. These are not real campaigns about clean air and places for children to play safely. They are campaigns for gated, exclusive traffic free areas for the wealthiest in Southwark. Desperate to dismiss residents on LL, EDG and Croxted, they troll on Twitter and block mothers, businesses and cyclists who disagree with them - calling them ?misinformed? and trying to indicate they are all against reducing pollution and want to be able to drive anytime, any place and denying the actual lived experience of people who live on these boundary roads.

From the OneDulwich site ?Fair Air for East Dulwich is a group of residents, parents and businesses who have been asking Southwark Council for months to monitor air pollution on these roads. Because this hasn?t happened, they are now having to find the money to do the monitoring themselves? ?We?ve been talking for a while about finding a way of linking the main railway hubs (West Dulwich, East Dulwich, North Dulwich, Herne Hill) with health centres, hospitals and schools ? a zero emissions bus service, perhaps, like the community-owned and run bus company ?The Big Lemon? operating in Brighton. This would benefit not only all the schoolchildren travelling around Dulwich, but also the elderly and less mobile, and the carers and health professionals who visit them.?

You are right Siduhe, the problem is that now the LTNs are on these wealthier streets, EDST Healthy Streets and Clean Air Dulwich...run by a handful of individuals living on Melbourne, Derwent, Calton etc have Village and Goose Green Councillors in their pockets and they will do or say anything to keep their gated roads, aided by the rather foolish councillors. LTNs not where there is need, but selfishness and greed.

Thank you geh and Siduhe, this is it really. The denial of the impact on boundary roads of LTNs has angered, upset and confused residents on LL, EDG, Croxted etc. Southwark refuse to admit there is a real health issue directly caused by badly planned LTNs. They have also been seduced by small vocal groups of residents who wanted a gated rd historically, even before Covid. Most people campaigning for there removal are people who walk, cycle, get the bus and from all different political perspectives, many supporting car reduction and green issues. These LTNs are poorly planned, no inequality assessment, no pollution monitoring etc. What has it achieved...division, argument, neighbour against neighbour, but not a reduction in pollution. Remove these ?temporary? measures, put the plans in your manifesto and put the plan to a vote in the 2022 council elections.

Excellent post geh.

I would be rather irritated if I lived on Barry rd....

Also doooooo have an Instagram page once you are ?exclusive? from the plebeian majority on those sad busy roads that your cleaner lives in. Keep the patrician minority rich and increase ones house price...yah!

The amazing evaporation... yes let's wait for that ..meanwhile who cares about illegal levels of pollution on Underhill, Croxted, Lordship... who cares about asthma, heart disease..it will all just disappear apparently.

Apparently it all disappears as if by magic.. if only that were true.... Unicorns..meanwhile poor people .. breath the pollution and be grateful the wealthy multi-car owning roads in the Village have empty roads and nice (anti-homeless) benches...

You will slowly realise that although EDG is a lovely mixed community of wonderful people, who go out of their way to be neighbourly, the local council doesn?t really care about this rd, so pavements, road surface, noise, pollution and cleanliness isn?t a priority. You should have moved onto Melbourne or Townley, Court, Derwent or Calton....all rds that are looked after by the Council. One end is Village Ward the other Goose Green..so both sets of Councillors point the blame to the other set (privately of course). I love this road and the people, I have the best neighbours. Join the EDG group...together we are stronger.

I imagine .... something like this? You form a small group in a posh road or roads and call yourself something like ?rich people for only our children?s health? then you flatter certain Borough councillors..get on any campaign or sub-group you can, Green-wash your NIMBY ideas and also helpful if you have something like an architect or town planner who is on a council planning sub-committee ... I imagine

Blue brick is a great independent, considering this terrible year this all seems a bit mean to me.

How awful..

Nigello, it is the residents living in these estates that are having their green spaces, children's playgrounds and community halls built on, denying teachers, nurses, etc access to space, light and places for their children to play. I suggest you do some research about the 'stop the infill' resident run campaign.

How kind

The thing is it?s not sleaze, it?s corruption and needs to be called what it is.

Southwark seem fairly cavalier at taking green spaces away from poorer estates, with flats and no gardens while giving extra space to those with large front and back gardens only yards away from parks. Brenchley, Deverell Street, Bells Garden Esate, Woodland Rd Esate...

We were told by Southwark Council in the plans, it was part of the agreement for the development, the garden would be moved to the health centre site.

My partner who used to work for a homeless charity commented on the benches on the square of shame and Elsie Rd (not Melbourne..my mistake). The design with an arm-rest bar off centre is there to stop any cold, poor homeless people from sleeping on them.. a bit like those spikes under bridges or outside of very posh shops. Homelessness isn't a crime...we are all only a few steps of bad luck away from being homeless and I find this obvious purchase of anti-homeless benches really sad.

Thanks James, none of my neighbours in East Dulwich Grove have received a newsletter or a consultation leaflet. Is it possible that this could be remedied in the next few weeks as very few are look at this forum. Many thanks.