Magogley

Some residents of Red Post Hill were asked by tree surgeons this morning if they would consent to having their kerbside trees cut back for free - presumably by council tree surgeons. The top end of Red Post Hill is largely closed at the moment for those works we were given one day's notice of, so it's easier for tree cutters to do their work. We've been told by Southwark's cabinet member for environment that this round of tree cutting is down to TfL not the council. We were told earlier by Val Shawcross that she understood the road works in Red Post Hill this week were down to the council, not TfL, and that the council had jumped the gun on the 42 decision. Cutting down the leaning tree at the top of the street is down to the council though, it turns out. A council tree person came to look at that condemned tree on Monday or yesterday, and reported to the cabinet member for environment that it's not dead or dying (which is what the notice attached to it says), but it's leaning excessively. It also has some rot that you can't see, we've been told. So it's still condemned. And now it seems that in addition TfL want to cut back trees (in a conservation area) to make way for a one week diversion of the (double decker) 37 bus onto Red Post Hill next week when Half Moon Lane is due to be resurfaced. So it's a case of cutting back trees in a conservation area, in private homes, against owners' wishes, to make room for a one week bus diversion. That makes sense. It's pretty clear the council already knew about all of the tree work, even though we're now told it's down to TfL not the council. One of the Southwark tree people let slip there were plans to raise the tree crowns in an email about the leaning tree they've decided to cut down. No reply on that issue in response to several residents' immediate requests for clarification. Then today work started to cut back trees. At least a couple of residents have refused to provide consent. It all makes much more sense if, like many residents, you fear that it's just another way (like narrowing a pedestrian island this week, and cutting down the much-beloved crooked tree - also on very little notice) to clear the way for running the 42 as a double decker, even though no result has been announced from the TfL 'consultation'.

In reply to @landsberger (sorry, not sure how to post under that post) - heavier vehicles (up to 15 tonnes when laden I think) + bigger engines - in the case of RPH doing hill starts at the traffic lights = more ground rumble/vibration and noise. Plus higher vehicles = new upstairs blinds or curtains. Not sure about emissions - depends what bus they propose to use I suspect. For Red Post Hill in particular, there are also additional concerns about safety, congestion, road surface, etc - though not all routes would raise the same issues. I use the 42 a fair amount (though like @handh I find it's quicker and more reliable to use alternative routes - such as the overground N Dulwich-London Bridge plus a bus - if I'm travelling to Liverpool Street). I welcome the route extension.

As someone who lives on Red Post Hill (as well as a regular 42 user) I'm really dismayed at the proposal to run double deckers up and down the hill *both ways* - not even sharing the pain (!) with Sunray Avenue. The traffic islands in Red Post Hill are there because residents campaigned for them as a replacement for speed humps which were really disruptive and not much good at reducing speeds. If they're reduced in width it'll be easier for lots of other heavier vehicles to use Red Post Hill too. It's a narrow street at the Sunray estate end and it already takes more traffic than some nearby A-roads, so I don't understand the routing decision - let alone both ways. TfL don't explain it either. Plus no-one would choose to have double-deckers running by their home if they could help it (which we might not be able to), so spare us a thought on a narrow street which already has the P4 and the single-decker 42 one way. Lots of disquiet along our part of Red Post Hill. Sigh.

Hello I just posted about the proposed North Dulwich CPZ and it seems that because I mentioned next week's Dulwich Community Council meeting in the title, my post has been moved to 'events'! Phew. I'm glad to have found it: thought it might have been moved due to East Dulwich-ism. Anyway, it wasn't really a post about an 'event'... It's a post about how decisions are made on controlled parking zones in Southwark... Please do go and have a look here: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?6,435910 Moderator - please don't be so hard on posts, otherwise you'd have to move anything that mentions any date in the future to 'events'! And it's this section, that gets the good thinking about general issues, not the events bit. Better still - could you please reinstate my original post in the right place? (here?!)