IainJ

DKH, you have completely misunderstood the import of this. Southwark is clear that it is proposing to consult again after 6 and 18 months and, as things stand, will include a complete closure and pedestrianisation option, i.e. the Council is seriously considering closing Rye Lane for good. Permanent closure would mean it is the only major interchange station in Greater London (7m passengers a year, rising to 9.3m) without connecting bus services, pushing the stops to the periphery of the town centre, some 500m away to the south and 600m to the north, out of sight of the station. I cannot believe that this is to be put forward as a serious option, and I hope when you wake up to it, neither will you.

No, Dogkennelhillbilly, it is exactly that. The Council is proposing to open Rye Lane on 18 October but will launch a further consultations including closure options after both 6 and 18 months.

The Council Zoom meeting last night heard a lot of disparate views but the main take away was the presentation by Cllr Rose which showed that there were 7m passenger movements at Peckham Rye Station in the last full year before the pandemic, forecast to rise to 9.3m by 2036. This makes it one of the busiest stations outside the central London terminals, and if it lost its bus services it would be the only major interchange without seamless connectivity to its 9 current services. They are also delaying the opening for another two weeks to 18 October because of process issues. Sydenham Hill was mentioned as having bus services 7 minutes away, but it has fewer movements, only two platforms and is deep in a cutting in the middle of the Dulwich estate - so hardly comparable. A resident from north of Rye Lane pointed out that the distance from the nearest southbound bus stop to Peckham Rye Station on Clayton Road is also substantial - some 600m, 100m more than Nigel Road. This shows that people living there are potentially more disadvantaged by this proposal. I must say the cyclist lobby were not very convincing, they just came over as anti buses and if they don't want to share roadspace there is a well established parallel quiet route around Rye Lane on Bellenden Road which I used since 1979 with only an occasional encounter with a P13. The Council seems at risk of losing sight of the important strategic issue, i.e., the need for seamless connectivity in public transport and getting itself tied up in an embroglio of peripheral concerns and anxieties. I will circulate the presentation when I receive it, but the figures show very convincingly that Peckham Rye is such an important station that to remove bus services to the periphery of the town centre would be very damaging to the wider community and to the regeneration of Peckham. It seems incredible given the data that the Council should even be consulting on this proposal. But if it does so it needs to ensure that all the voices are heard, not just the Rye Lane lobby.

Forest Hill Group practice were offering next day appointments to patients on their text list. Good service.

Some routes are showing Rye Lane reinstated, others not. I think it is to open on 4 October. I agree the P13 should be included, making 9 in all serving the station via Rye Lane.

James, I had a look at it and think it's excellently designed. It augers well for Peckham Rye station, but really important that like Denmark Hill it's properly linked to connecting bus services. See my EDF post.

Debatable, although both the Paris Metro and New York subway found that graffiti made users feel unsafe and set about removing it. But as you say the street feels spooky, so who would want to walk down there at night rather than catch a bus from the station.

So Rye Lane is at last to re-open to buses. But only for a trial period, with yet more consultations after 6 and 18 months on permanent closure. It's clear that, as with the Dulwich Review, the Council wants to close it for good and will slant it to secure that outcome. The last consultation was not well publicised and completely ignored the thousands of people who regularly used the 8 bus routes converging on the station from East Dulwich, Honor Oak and Nunhead - 12, 197, 63, 363, 37, 78, 343 and P12. For the last 18 months, and previously for half a year everyone has had to walk the 500m from the top of Peckham Rye, two bus stops short of the station - night and day, rain or shine, every journey. It's great news that the ?40m restoration and refurbishment scheme for Peckham Rye station is going ahead, improving access for the elderly, those with disabilities, young children, luggage or heavy shopping. Yet the Council is about to consult on a serious proposal to deny these and all other users direct access to bus services permanently. Peckham Rye station is a major interchange with four platforms served by Thameslink, Overground, British Rail metro and distance services. If this goes ahead it would be the only principal station in Greater London without direct bus services. This would breach a fundamental principle of the Mayor's transport strategy to provide direct connectivity between different modes of public transport, i.e., 'High-quality public transport services that connect seamlessly to other forms of active, efficient and sustainable travel are required across the city to provide alternatives to car use.' Millions were spent to build the bus station at Canada Water in this borough when the Jubilee Line opened in 2000, the same at North Greenwich, creating new transport hubs. There has been connectivity from East Dulwich, Nunhead and Honor Oak first with horse buses, then motor buses, now hybrids and soon electrics. But the Council seems only interested in walking or cycling, and seems happy to re-route all these buses permanently through back streets with no stops. The closure of Rye Lane has also had negative consequences for the public realm as the explosion of graffiti will attest without the passive surveillance from bus users. Shops have closed for lack of trade. With the current concerns about women's safety, would you want to walk all the way down Rye Lane on a cold wet night rather than hop on a bus to get safely home? The Council must engage all residents living in the areas served by the 8 bus routes in a meaningful consultation, not just an obscure listing on their website. Most have no other realistic option but to use the station and their voice has not been heard. It has all been about playing cricket in the middle of Rye Lane. If the Council only consults people living around the station it's not surprising they might hear only one view. If Rye Lane is to thrive as a transport, shopping, leisure and cultural hub it needs to have the bus services made permanent for the benefit of all local residents. Southwark is running an on line forum consultation starting on Tuesday 28 September at 7 p.m. Register at this link and you will receive an email response about how to join the meeting: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkdOCpqz4pGdHOryugIsc8vHD2GnGQKYX8 If you care about this please make your voice heard - write to Cllr Catherine Rose, the Cabinet Member for Transport, local Councillors, M.P.s (both Harriet Harman and Helen Hayes) and the Mayor.