Goose Green councillors - how can we help?

[Sue]

Nigello Wrote:

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> I agree with you about idling - I ask adults

> (often responsible looking or, unbelievably, in

> liveried vehicles) to stop idling of engines and I

> get success about 60 percent of the time.

So do I (or did, when I was out and about).

I usually got a blank stare or an answer along the lines of oh FFS.

I'd say my success rate was about 10% .....

[alex_b]

A Thames Water guy threatened me when I asked them to stop idling their truck outside The Belham. I complained to Thames Water but never heard anything back. In general my success rate pre-pandemic was about 10%.

[malumbu]

I became obsessed with idling cars and vans a few years ago. However I approached the driver, I'd still get the same answer. Two words one starting with F and the other O. Or very similar sentiment. I'd ask them very nicely, or sometimes less nicely. The funniest was a number of times with police vehicles. No understanding whatsoever with what the issue was. I formally complained a couple of times and got a nice response back from the cops but doubt if it made a lot of difference. I recall speaking to a coach driver outside Horniman Gardens from one of the Bromley schools asking them nicely to turn their engine off. And they just ignored me, the school didn't answer either. I did enjoy calling one company up, in the height of summer, asking them to tell their coach driver who had been sitting their with the engine idling to turn it off. Eventually I gave up as it wasn't a battle worth fighting.

Most modern cars come with stop start technology but again I expect that many disable this.

Perhaps you may understand that this contributes to my view of the sense of entitlement amongst most drivers. Maybe not those that post here, but I expect the majority. Engine idling is not a local authority issue as it is so difficult to enforce. The police have powers too, but this is considered not a priority for them. I have posted many times my views that many of you only seem to have been bothered about pollution since the LTN - nobody has convinced me otherwise. Did you know that there was a campaign nine years ago to encourage people to turn their engines off? I expect not - it was quite high profile - billboards and radio adverts. But had virtually zilch impact. I've attached one of the billboards and a report on the 2012-13 London air quality programme https://cleanair.london/app/uploads/CAL-312-caf-end-of-programme-report_January-2013.pdf

And here is an article on Nigel Havers and his failed attempt to get people to switch off. Hello I am Nigel Havers, do you mind awfully switching your engine off? Go forth and multiply. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04qrnh6

[heartblock]

In my tutorial today I was discussing with my students, how to convince an asthmatic to comply with their drug regime and to stop smoking. It was all ?stick? ?stick? ?stick? ... you do need to throw in some ?carrots?.

[malumbu]

Here's some money to take your drugs. Here's some money to stop smoking. Thought that having a better quality of life if you take your drugs and stop smoking would be a good carrot. Similarly - drive less and improve the environment.

Back to your example, I expect that many who are being told to comply feel that they are victimised. By all means explain more, it is a nice break from the main issue that dominates this forum.

[Rockets]

I suppose what the council is doing is saying, we want you to stop smoking and to do that we are going to tell everyone to stop smoking on these streets and yet encourage them to congregate and smoke on these other streets just down the road.

[heartblock]

Ha ha yes Rockets. I suppose when asked for ?Boris bikes? Southwark said ?no?, the number and quality of proper cycle lanes in ED and Dulwich are poor, pavements in poorer areas are badly maintained and when local buses had services reduced by the mayor (40] there was no big campaign by the council to keep. The council also stopped free collection of garden waste and household goods.

[Nigello]

Exactly - people don't like being made to acknowledge they are doing wrong, so react nastily. All a bit childish, but the reptile brain probably has somethign to do with it.

In the meantime, those plastic barriers and perforated kerbs outside Heber, for example, are left to deplete themselves so the restriction is now just a trip hazard.

[smooch]

James

It appears that Callow Locksmiths in the Melbourne grove is the first long standing local business that is having to move due the problems caused by LTNs - personally I don't think they will be the last.

Have the council actually communicated with local businesses? I can see from a number of traders on twitter that they are not being responded to - it would be such a shame if our local businesses (which are part of the appeal to this area) are being forced to close due to lack of access OR such a highly polluted high street.

The ongoing discussions about delays to emergency vehicles (in particular ambulances) and the dreadful pollution now on the main roads where the majority of people/children are walking or cycling

[smooch]

James

It appears that Callow Locksmiths in the Melbourne grove is the first long standing local business that is having to move due the problems caused by LTNs - personally I don't think they will be the last.

Have the council actually communicated with local businesses? I can see from a number of traders on twitter that they are not being responded to - it would be such a shame if our local businesses (which are part of the appeal to this area) are being forced to close due to lack of access OR such a highly polluted high street.

The ongoing discussions about delays to emergency vehicles (in particular ambulances) and the dreadful pollution now on the main roads where the majority of people/children are walking or cycling

[KidKruger]

What a terrible shame, decent local business assassinated by the very same body they pay their business rates to.

No protection, in fact the opposite - make things difficult for them and don?t even inform them in advance of putting restrictions in place.

Disgusting behaviour.

smooch Wrote:

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> James

> It appears that Callow Locksmiths in the Melbourne

> grove is the first long standing local business

> that is having to move due the problems caused by

> LTNs - personally I don't think they will be the

> last.

>

> Have the council actually communicated with local

> businesses? I can see from a number of traders on

> twitter that they are not being responded to - it

> would be such a shame if our local businesses

> (which are part of the appeal to this area) are

> being forced to close due to lack of access OR

> such a highly polluted high street.

>

> The ongoing discussions about delays to emergency

> vehicles (in particular ambulances) and the

> dreadful pollution now on the main roads where the

> majority of people/children are walking or cycling

[malumbu]

I was asking Heartbeat about his students and why they felt victimised. Not your views on Southwark and the LTN Rocks. I think I know these already.

Anyway Heartbeat, back to my question about victimisation.

[slarti b]

Perhaps our local councillors could help by supporting local businesses rather than handing out golden pay-offs to colleagues who have resigned after having been found out abusing their constituents under false names on social media.

James McAsh, what is your opinion on that, how did you vote last night?

[ab29]

This forum is for residents of Dulwich and this specific thread for people from Goose Green area - you live in neither.

malumbu Wrote:

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> I was asking Heartbeat about his students and why

> they felt victimised. Not your views on Southwark

> and the LTN Rocks. I think I know these already.

>

>

> Anyway Heartbeat, back to my question about

> victimisation.

[first mate]

Oh no, where are they moving to? They are an extremely useful service, really hope the area is not losing them altogether?

smooch Wrote:

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> James

> It appears that Callow Locksmiths in the Melbourne

> grove is the first long standing local business

> that is having to move due the problems caused by

> LTNs - personally I don't think they will be the

> last.

>

> Have the council actually communicated with local

> businesses? I can see from a number of traders on

> twitter that they are not being responded to - it

> would be such a shame if our local businesses

> (which are part of the appeal to this area) are

> being forced to close due to lack of access OR

> such a highly polluted high street.

>

> The ongoing discussions about delays to emergency

> vehicles (in particular ambulances) and the

> dreadful pollution now on the main roads where the

> majority of people/children are walking or cycling

[snowy]

ab29 Wrote:

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> This forum is for residents of Dulwich and this

> specific thread for people from Goose Green area -

> you live in neither.

It?s not though. Read the first post in the About this Forum subsection.

[Lynne]

A great shame about Callow's. They've always been very helpful.

[Sue]

Lynne Wrote:

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> A great shame about Callow's. They've always been

> very helpful.

Yes, and they have already moved once - they were previously on Lordship Lane.

I do hope they will be able to stay in this area.

[jazzer]

Such a shame that a well used and long standing business has been "forced" to relocate because of the Council's shortsightedness. Guess the landlord will also be cursing Southwark. I wonder how long before other businesses in Melbourne Grove will follow Callow's and relocate elsewhere, maybe across the boundary into Lewisham?

[jazzer]

Anyone else seen the utterly stupid cycle lane from approx the bottom of Rye Lane to just past Burger King/Lidl. An utter waste of money, very much like the "short" and I mean short cycle lane put in by the railway bridge on Bellenden Road. Unless I was dreaming, I'm pretty certain there is one as you come out of Dulwich onto the south circular. Who for heavens sake authorises and makes such stupid decisions? All these do is reduce the width of the road this lengthening the time taken for journeys, it results in greater levels of pollution, thus lengthening queuing traffic and increases congestion.

Those who made these decisions need to be held to account for their sheer stupidity.

[janepinkcat]

Dear councillor McCash

Could there be any changes to the LTNs or school streets, by adjusting the timing by perhaps 30 minutes? It would help local people get to and from their homes by finishing at 5.30 instead of 6pm? Also by not operating during the school holidays?

[tiddles]

The silence is deafening...

[KidKruger]

Having been shafted by Southwark I?d be amazed if Callows stays in the area, I mean what?s the point, after two moves ?!

They deserved recognition and support, all the businesses on MG did, instead they got blindsided because they just don?t matter to the council - they?re an irrelevance. Being a business owner and realising this, you?d surely just depart (assuming you even had the massive funds needed to set-up business AGAIN).

Sue Wrote:

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> Lynne Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > A great shame about Callow's. They've always

> been

> > very helpful.

>

>

> Yes, and they have already moved once - they were

> previously on Lordship Lane.

>

> I do hope they will be able to stay in this area.

[jamesmcash]

Dear all,

I hope you are all well and that you managed to enjoy some of the beautiful sunshine today.

LTN consultation

The consultation on the LTNs will begin shortly after the May election. Residents should have received a newsletter. I was told that businesses would too (and checked this multiple times) but it sounds like they did not. I can only apologise for this. You can read it online here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/154LtvSg4ps5lT6OMFPhwfyzu8vXpcz5Y/view?usp=sharing

LTN Consultation area

Everyone will be able to respond to the consultation, wherever they live. It is not the case that only those living on roads with filters will be consulted.

Equity and LTNs

It is true that main roads do not benefit from LTNs in the same way that side streets do. But it is not true that poorer people are more likely to live on main roads. In fact, the opposite is true: 4.5% of households with an income below ?20k live on main roads compared to 5.8% of middle-income and 4.6% of high income households. Black and white people are equally likely to live on a main road (4.9% each), with asian people slightly less likely to and Arab, Mixed and Other more likely to. If you have a disability that limits travel, you are slightly less likely to live on a main road than those who do not.

All this data is from page 35 of this report: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d30896202a18c0001b49180/t/5fb246b254d7bd32ba4cec90/1605519046389/LTNs+for+all.pdf)

Dulwich Village is indeed one of the more affluent areas of Southwark but it is not the only place where LTNs have been implemented. There are now dozens across the borough in a diverse range of neighbourhoods.

Local businesses

I was very sad to learn that Callows is moving, but I believe that they are staying very locally.

Yes, we are in touch with local businesses about ongoing issues. My fellow Goose Green councillors and I are hoping to host a community meeting to discuss how best to support our local high streets - open to businesses and residents. We can't do it until after the election but I will keep you posted on it.

Timings of LTNs and school streets

janepinkcat This is definitely an option. It's something we'd want to look at in the consultation.

Stay safe!

Best wishes,

James

[Metallic]

Well, there is one sorry excuse for a missive to the people of his Ward!

LTN Consultation area:

"Everyone will be able to respond to the consultation, wherever they live. It is not the case that only those living on roads with filters will be consulted." I don't live in this guy's ward, they are all as bad really, but when you see the decimation of businesses in just one of these roads with filters - I mean Melbourne Grove by the way - it is heartbreaking. As we all know, some idiots think that shopping locally means you should only use your local shops, no one else from outside should need to shop there. This is what happened when tweets were written that asked why Dulwich Village should expect customers from outside the locked down area to use what amounts to destination shops. And now we have the same issue in Melbourne Grove. Destination shops (ie not food) and ones that cannot survive without customers getting access to them. And being able to park when they finally fight their way through the traffic jams caused by road closures; planters, cameras, closed off completely, whatever. If you cared, Mr McCash, about your voters and businesses, you would be doing something to help them instead of leaving businesses to flounder, close or re-locate. Might I say that relocating is a nightmare of costs which if you are on your uppers after Covid/Lockdown, is an expense you can do without.

"I was very sad to learn that Callows is moving, but I believe that they are staying very locally.

Yes, we are in touch with local businesses about ongoing issues. My fellow Goose Green councillors and I are hoping to host a community meeting to discuss how best to support...". Don't hold your breath for any help folks. Everyone in the area knew this would happen, and residents and businesses alike told you and your fellow councillors but the red mist of cycling utopia has blinded you all. And when the barber goes, and the pharmacy has gone, who on earth would take on premises in your dead land? It is the same in Dulwich Village, a three hour desert every afternoon except for mothers collecting their kids from school, but hurrying home for Amazon deliveries.