legalalien

I'm still in favour of lobbying the Lib Dems to ask for the decision to be called in to the Oversight and Scrutiny committee for explanation once it is made. That wouldn't stop the decision ultimately (Labour majority on the committee), but it would give the issue more airtime / make more people aware of what is going on. Any LD or potential LD councillors or members out there? The Southwark constitution seems to permit call in to be requested by three members of the committee, https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/documents/s100483/Overview%20and%20Scrutiny%20Procedure%20Rules%20May%202019.pdf and there are exactly three LDs on the committee: https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=308 The procedure states that "Requests for call-in should normally only be made if there is evidence that the decision maker did not take the decision in accordance with the principles of decision making as set out in Article 1.3 of the constitution." Article 1.3 says this: "All decisions of the council will be made in accordance with the following principles: a) the link between strategy and implementation must be maintained b) decision making generally, whether by individual officers, individual cabinet members or the cabinet collectively, should have reference to the policy framework c) respect for human rights, law and probity d) due consultation and the taking of professional advice from officers e) proportionality (i.e. the action must be proportionate to the desired outcome) f) a presumption in favour of openness g) clarity of aims and desired outcomes h) consideration of the likely climate consequences and the likely equality (including socio-economic disadvantage and health inequality) consequences of the relevant decision and therefore reports for decision should include advice from officers of the likely climate and equality impacts of that decision." I reckon there's a pretty good argument that at least one of those grounds is engaged...

That's true, Rockets, but also possibly true that some of the older/ longer term residents had some degree of (what has turned out to be) misplaced trust in the system, based on previous experience of Dulwich interest groups (eg the Estate, Dulwich Society) having some sway in protecting the interests of Village residents, and ward councillors representing the ward (as opposed to the party line - and their own particular interests / the views of those in their echo chambers)? OD and DA have done well in getting locals to express their views: but in a situation where the council's response is essentially "meh" .. then what? I had hoped TfL might intervene to fix the Croxted problem (maybe they still will), but maybe a "sack the 49" movement borough wide is the way forward. I can't believe that Southwark Labour would be foolish enough to put the current Village incumbents up as candidates for the next election, would be interested to see what they come up with. Incidentally I see on the website that "Your locally elected councillors will be holding a mobile (roving) surgery programme at different locations across the Dulwich Village ward area to enable residents to raise any local issues. Residents will be notified of the date, time and specific streets/roads where the surgery will take place by letter in advance." I'll await a letter - not expecting one any time soon.

I agree with that P3girl and I think there is a common cause with those opposing some of the council?s other ill thought out and ill-consulted plans on the housing front. I actually helped organise a ?party? in a brewery once, for its centenary, as part of my student work experience. Best thing on my CV probably.

I would just say that loads of people have great ideas about how local people can sort these sites out and run stuff, but when push comes to shove it?s only a very, very small minority of folk who are willing to put in the hard yards rather than suggest what could / should be done. If anyone out there has an interest in volunteering to help with any of a variety of community sports grounds out there, by all means message me and I can put you in touch with relevant people. Advance warning - these things are largely a thankless task. bodsier Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > shame local people couldnt have purchased it and > kept it and either run a neighbourhood social > club.. good for the neighbourhood....could even > have run a neighbourhood hire scheme.....or better > still a youth centre....for the teenagers that > have nowhere to go....I'm not going to look at > this after writing.....I can only imagine the > backlash....

Does anyone know / has anyone heard any rumours as to whether independent candidates of any flavour are likely to come forward in May? I'd potentially vote for a local independent or local party, in the hope they might be - well, representative in some sense.

I've just had a multi-page hard copy review update through the door. One thing that strikes me is that pretty much all of the measures have been able to be compromised in some way, EXCEPT the Court/ Calton closure, where it's about emergency services only. That's what I don't understand. Why can't that junction have timed restrictions like everywhere else? There's a real fixation with closure, I'm not sure why. My money is on refusal to acknowledge the poor design last time it was remodelled (a sort of "it's an impossible junction to make safe for cars, cycles and pedestrians", rather than catering to some narrow local interests (surely not?). I don't want to believe the latter.

I'm not horrified at the prospect of the council making a decision that goes against the wishes of local residents - sometimes governments have to make unpopular decisions where they believe that it's in the best interest of their constituency - and if people don't like it, their remedy is the ballot box. I am, though, still concerned by the things that heartblock mentions, in particular the lack of data, the treatment of data that is available, and the overall lack of transparency throughout the process. Do people have views on how much improvement the proposed amendments will make e.g. moving the North Melbourne closure to the other end, reducing the times of closures, making Melbourne South timed? The latter two must help a bit with EDG/LL/ Croxted (it would be good if they could restrict them to term time as well, and exclude bank holidays?). I'm not sure what a timed school street in Townley would do in terms of traffic that currently heads south along that route - it presumably gets shunted to LL and DV - I don't know how much traffic we're talking about there? Presumably "Parallel work with TfL to make improvements to junction safety for cyclists and improve the flow of traffic at the junction of Village Way, Dulwich Village and Red Post Hill." means "putting in that cycle lane and restricting straight ahead and right turning traffic to one lane has been a complete disaster in terms of creating traffic congestion through the village". will watch that one with interest.

Here?s the link to the decision notices and the full set of documents. Lots to read. https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=50027352

On a marginally related note, if anyone is interested in Brenchley Gardens there?s an upcoming decision on traffic calming measures there. https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=50027350. Not that I was checking recent additions to the website, or anything.

That?s right heartblock - it has always been in the forward plan as a delegated decision to be made by the cabinet member. See https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=50026429&PlanId=674 ETA according to the Southwark website, the report giving background/ recommendations needs to be published 5 working days before the decision is made, and once the decision is made it is subject to a further five working day call in period during which the overview and scrutiny committee can look at/ demand the cabinet member turn up and explain the decision. https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/how-we-work/how-individual-decision-making-works. No idea how/ whether this works in practice. Membership of overview and scrutiny committee here: https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=308 Wonder if any of the LD members might be persuaded to raise the issue of failure to properly consult/ release data etc. Although not sure how useful this would be with a Labour majority on the committee.

I don?t think there have even been online ward meetings, though? I guess because they think they?d be difficult to run/ control? But other wards in the borough seem to have had online ward meetings, according to the official calendar.

I think the village ward councillors may only exist online. I've never seen them in the flesh - not even out canvassing. I'm not aware of a ward meeting in the last couple of years, the council webpage seems to have been updated in July to say that a date for one would be added shortly. They're supposed to have six per year (including the two South multi-ward meetings), although I think the council decided it would be reduced to two during COVID (ie only the multi ward meetings which have a very limited remit - surprising, that,at a time when constituents were likely to be vocal were a ward meeting held).

I tend to agree. I do a weekly online grocery shop. But have tried to cut down / avoid deliveries for small bits and pieces, takeaways etc. I don?t think the move to small on demand grocery deliveries is a good thing..(excluding cycle deliveries etc obvs). If push came to shove I could probably do a few pedestrian shopping trips instead of having a delivery though. As I used to, with a giant backpack, in my 20s. DuncanW Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm not certain online grocery ordering increases > congestion. If the routes are planned properly, I > would have though the opposite would happen. > > I would support a change in legislation to make it > compulsory to charge delivery at cost (minimum) on > orders less than ?100. It's far too easy to order > small, low-value on Amazon Prime knowing they'll > be delivered the next day with no charge.

It wouldn?t be increasingly difficult for those undercut by online options if we all did the right thing and tried to reduce our online shopping and deliveries. I personally think a tax on online deliveries would achieve a lot more than the LTNs (which I suspect encourage more online deliveries). Not something the council can legislate for, but they could encourage behavioural change as part of their remit to support local business?

I did indeed http://isj.org.uk/slam-on-the-brakes/

This book review by Prof Alfred back in 2008 is an interesting read and perhaps gives some insight into the Marxist perspective on car dominance (a partial driver of some current policy?) I?ll leave people to form their own views.

checks Southwark website for the two thousandth time to see whether a decision might have been posted. Not yet, for the record... ETA my first posting had the text in triangular brackets, which rendered it invisible...

Yep.

sounds right. So technically cyclists probably do have right of way. Siduhe Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > From memory, the pedestrian priority sign was > added by the council at the request of local > people who felt that cyclists were speeding > through the junction and causing risk for > pedestrians by not slowing or stopping. Don't > think it was a formally approved signage process > but something added to remind people to take care.

"The Junction" perhaps? This just gave me a flashback to being about 12 or 13 years old and furtively reading a (totally age-inappropriate) copy of "Up the Junction" that I managed to borrow from the local library. Have just googled it and realised that the junction in question is Clapham Junction. Going to find a copy and re-read it as an adult. Looking at the movie poster makes me realise just how much times have changed. https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/I90AAOSwzgRWzJ5-/s-l1600.jpg Metallic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It is not called the square.

I wonder who put the pedestrian priority sign there, and does anyone know what its status is? from a quick google, creating a formal pedestrian or pedestrian and cycle zone looks like it requires an application under the Town and Country Planning Act. I'm certainly not going to rely on it as a pedestrian, given the speed at which cycles come down Calton Avenue. Just wondering idly where liability would lie if I was hit by one of them.

Interesting that there are different views on the ?shared space? v ?filtered road? status of the closed junction. I thought the latter as that?s how the road traffic order works - it?s a prohibition of certain types of traffic isn?t it? (Need to re-read). I assumed that cyclists would have right of way.

It?s a two way argument though, isn?t it? The contra argument is that those concerned for young lungs might want to consider whether campaigning to channel all traffic onto main roads, so that less fortunate children who have to walk to schools on those main roads, is smart. Phrasing the argument in that kind of tone helps no one. We need proper data, and then a grown up debate that admits that any policy decision has winners and losers, and ideally some consensus on how much ?loss? for individuals is or isn?t acceptable, with suitable mitigation strategies. And so to bed...

There is no ?square? separate from the road as far as I am aware? What?s wrong with trying to get drivers to honk support? Or having placards that face the road? Their ?disingenuousness? is a matter of opinion? I?m not involved with this protest but I feel as though the culture wars / cancel culture has come to town, and it worries me.

Ok so the photo doesn?t show what you said it did. And you disagree with people?s views, and think they are absurd - you?re perfectly entitled to have an opinion and so are they. The recent closures for events and demonstrations in favour of the closure have caused just the same issues for right turning traffic, assuming you are correct about bags / blockages - I have no idea if you are factually correct or live locally. As a regular pedestrian I am fed up with the shemozzle caused by the current configuration, so I sympathise.