Peckham Rye - Southwark 'management' rolls on

[Lee Scoresby]

1) The squalid sea of bags and strewn clothing around the large Scope bin in the carpark has become a permanent disgrace. I wish I had posted photo's last week. After a tidy-up in the last few days (which did not, however, include actually EMPTYING the thing) this spot is an eyesore once again. Certainly, Scope bosses should get off their incompetent, overpaid behinds and deal with it. But the final responsibility is Southwark's. If Scope can't or won't keep their bin tidy, it should be replaced by that of a more efficient charity.

2) Workers are now landscaping the 'bypass to and from nowhere', where the additional depot enclosure used to be. It's a tricky spot, usually shady for one thing. But a bypass path? Which wannabe motorway planner came up with that? And the planting looks as contemporary and interesting as, ooo! . . . Margate 1955.

Peckham Rye and the Park are a magnificent space IN SPITE of the 'defensive [ie minimal] maintenance' strategy and utter-utter-utter lack of effort or imagination put into them. But as East Dulwich and SE London generally become ever more vibrant, creative and diverse, Southwark's lacklustre, asleep-at-the-wheel, same-old-contracts dead hand upon this green public space becomes ever more dispiriting. Look at the parks and spaces of other cities around the world. See what parks can really be, in the 21st century!

3) I suppose suggesting a speed bump to slow downhill cyclists on the newly paved path was the kiss of death. The faceless-nameless ones and their contractor chums don't want to appear to be 'responding to pressure'. What's that? Democracy? Designing-in safety? As Tony S says: Fuhgedabowddit! So Blah Blah (of this parish) will be happy to see reasserted his idea of English commonsense governance: that is, some toddler or elderly walker will have to be sent flying, and badly injured. Then - only then - will the faceless-nameless ones declare their boundless humanity on our behalf and belatedly install a bump or calming barrier.

That this tendency is already expressing itself, I witnessed just a few minutes ago: A downhill cyclist, without slowing his considerable speed, swung into the gate adjacent to the outdoor exercise area. Elegant to watch - disastrous for anyone just coming up the inside path to that gate.

Lee Scoresby

[Callie]

Where are all these places you mention? It would have been good to have some pics to get an idea.

[rodneybewes]

You probably have some good points in there but there's only so much rhetoric one can take before switching off.