Lordship Lane pavement on a rainy day is a disgrace

[march46]

Just as trees improve the feel of Lordship Lane, so would fewer parked cars and wider pavements. 

[first mate]

Suggest we invest in improving the pavement we already have, as per the OP, rather than widening. The paving round ED is very slapdash and soon degrades; as RCH pointed out, it is often not well laid in the first place. I wish councillors would focus on the boring detail of our basic infrastructure and less on grand (some would argue unnecessary) projects, like Dulwich Square and 'parklets'.

Nice to see you back RCH. Your perspective is most valuable and a welcome change since you have real experience/expertise in some of the threads under discussion.

[alice]

It’s just made me laugh out loud to think that having a load of trees along a street would make me travel further to get there. 

[Rockets]

13 hours ago, rch said:

spent several months working with highways officers on the proposal, which they advised wouldn’t be constructive as it would displace car use to the surrounding local roads. 

Funny that….one wonders whether the same advice was given to the current councillors….

[rch]

11 hours ago, first mate said:

Suggest we invest in improving the pavement we already have, as per the OP, rather than widening. The paving round ED is very slapdash and soon degrades; as RCH pointed out, it is often not well laid in the first place. I wish councillors would focus on the boring detail of our basic infrastructure and less on grand (some would argue unnecessary) projects, like Dulwich Square and 'parklets'.

Nice to see you back RCH. Your perspective is most valuable and a welcome change since you have real experience/expertise in some of the threads under discussion.

Thanks, first mate. I’m not completely back yet, as I’m still dealing with Thames Water damage repairs.

But I jumped in because I feel really strongly about properly reinstating the Lordship pavement so that we don’t have to keep jumping through the puddles…

[Penguin68]

When I first moved to ED, Lordship Lane was a dump, too many second hand pram shops and faded grandeur - in the last 35+ years it has massively improved to being a retail and eating destination - badly let down by the poor quality of the pedestrian infrastructure as described by rch (and welcome back to these pages). Only a little extra expenditure (and following good advice) to do the job properly and not skimping on preparation could have made such a difference (and been an investment which actually saved money long-term). 

[hfoster]

I don't think the modern approach to paving (i.e, smash up the slabs and dump tarmac down) helps either. I presume at one point the pavers used to all slope towards the gutter.

At the very least it needs a good powerwash and biocide as I was nearly arse over heels the other day with how slippy it gets.

[first mate]

The pavements are a disgrace and often present a danger to those with various physical impairments as well as the able bodied among us. Quite how the Council squares this with its much heralded aim to increase and support active travel is the question. Councillors just need to apply themselves to the boring and 'unsexy' work of getting the basics right.

 

[Rockets]

I do wonder if this is reflective of the ideology of the various councillors representing their wards:

- Dulwich Village councillors happy to spend huge amounts of tax-payers money on beautifying the already most beautified part of the area to keep their neighbours/constituents happy - the Champagne Socialist approach to socialism

- Goose Green councillors reluctant to spend money because the wealthy so and so's of Lordship Lane should think themselves lucky to have any pavement at all - the Marxist approach to socialism!

 

😉

[Nigello]

Ponding happens all over SE22. The dipped kerbs (for buggies, wheelchairs, etc.) are a case in point. All it needs is for Conway to simulate a downpour with a few gallons of water to see if their “craftsmanship” is up to snuff before they move on to perform their next miracles. Paving slabs often subside (maybe because the necessary “underlay” is missing or sub-par?) resulting in big puddles. Highways have poor camber which means big, long puddles hug kerbs all over our area yet, despite reporting them, nothing is done to put them right. 

[Earl Aelfheah]

Absolutely need to invest more in making life better for pedestrians. I do think this includes pavement widening programmes where appropriate. On Lordship Lane, it would actually help if some of the parking was removed to accommodate pavement widening and reduce pinch points (especially near the bus stops). If we also made the bus lanes 24/7, it would significantly improve accessibility to / from and along the lane.

It's a shame that the temporary measures bought in during COVID to make walking easier were not retained imo. We have again prioritised car parking over buses and pedestrians.

In the meantime, fixing the existing paving would be a good start.  

Edited September 2 by Earl Aelfheah

[Pugwash]

In Barry Road, it is not only the poor pavements and puddles, it is the dangerous tree roots which are hazards to buggies, wheelchairs/mobility scooters and pedestrians in general. My neighbour uses a mobility scooter and finds it difficult to negotiate the hump and uneven surface of the tree roots by the Plough PH (Barry Road side). I use a walking stick and some times a 3 wheel walking frame, and have the same problem balancing. A friend earlier in the year tripped over the tree roots of the tree outside St Anthony's School (Barry Road side) and laid there until someone could come t o her assistance.  I would hate a treeless street but at times the council need to consider the needs of all residents.

Although I am a car owner, I would not dream of parking in Lordship Lane etc - it is far easier to go by bus.

[Rockets]

Given the £ the council is spending on Dulwich Square and the Hunts Slip works there is zero excuse for the shambolic nature of the pavements on Lordship Lane - I walked down there today and after any short amount of rainfall the pavements become very waterlogged. It's a bit like the leaf clearing (or lack of it) in Autumn - it seems Lordship Labe is very low on the priority list.

[malumbu]

I've never had a problem walking down Lordship Lane and as others have seen it improve.  I'm reasonably mobile and my trips on paving stones over the years have been elsewhere.  I'm also looking forward to Dulwich square and support the measures to reduce vehicle use and increase active travel.  I'm happy with public transport, use buses a fair amount and love the electric ones but Boris buses are a silly indulgence.  I've got a positive outlook on life, geo politics, the rise of populism and climate change worry me but generally not local stuff - exceptions are too much closure due to maintenance on Southern and the overground lines (step up please Ellie) and selfish parking.  I'd happily give up some street parking for wider pavements and we of course have those pesky and non-road legal ebikes and scooters to accommodate..... some how - dunno the solution.

I wish other car owners and drivers would follow in my footsteps and look to reduce their use 

Of course we should and can improve things for vulnerable citizens but the tine of the debate saddens me.

[alice]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[Sue]

18 minutes ago, alice said:

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

What's so funny? 

[alice]

Well.  I exaggerated a little. 😂😂😂 would be more accurate 

[first mate]

2 hours ago, malumbu said:

I've never had a problem walking down Lordship Lane and as others have seen it improve.  I'm reasonably mobile and my trips on paving stones over the years have been elsewhere. 

Well, I know of three people that have tripped walking along Lordship Lane because of uneven paving; two of them fell and suffered bad fractures as a result.  That is just in the last few years!

There has been work on the pavements over the years but, as others have noted, the work is so badly done it never lasts. Look at the state of Northcross road paving too. Parts of that are now very uneven.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

7 hours ago, Rockets said:

Given the £ the council is spending on Dulwich Square and the Hunts Slip works

More #southwarkderangementsyndrome : you disapprove of something, therefore it must be the council’s fault and it gets shoehorned into a totally irrelevant discussion.

FWIW the Hunts Slip Road works are a Dulwich Estate project. Shouldn’t an anti-Marxist like you be more supportive of private landlord like the Estate?

https://www.thedulwichestate.org.uk/whats-happening/the-dulwich-estate-improves-road-safety-for-vulnerable-users

https://www.thedulwichestate.org.uk/whats-happening/hunts-slip-road-and-section-of-college-road-vehicle-access-closure-notice

 

Edited September 2 by Dogkennelhillbilly

[Rockets]

I am also anti-champagne socialist as much as anti-Marxist so that's why I find it laughable that a council, who has been pleading poverty, can find £5m for Dulwich Square's repeated renovations...I bet the Marxists hate that as much as I do.

 

And then I read the following which is said to be part of an email Cllr Leeming sent and you realise how much they are lying to everyone (the overwhelming majority clearly didn't respond to his council's repeated consultations!), how the consultatuon had no bearing on the outcome (approval 2.5 years ago - it was a done deal before the consultation) and what the real motivation is.

If true this is damning.

 

Meanwhile the pavements on Lordship Lane are in an awful state. #forthefewnotthemany

 

 

Edited September 3 by Rockets

[march46]

Rockets this isn't an LTN thread. 

[first mate]

No it is about the appalling state of local pavements, but the comparison with Dulwich Square is relevant since I bet the paving there won't puddle or produce trip hazards. How has the council found 5 million to spend on that very small area in a wealthy area and get that work done pronto, yet swathes of East Dulwich paving is cracked and falling apart. Priorities?

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

A lot of pearl clutching about “lying” and “gaslighting” from the council, but it doesn’t sit well with spreading falsehoods about Southwark paying for the private works of the Dulwich Estate and mad conspiracy theory rants about Marxists.

 

 

[Rockets]

DKHB you got me! Congrats, you win a prize. I got that wrong and I stand corrected...there you see, admitting you got something wrong doesn't hurt and can be quite therapeutic...perhaps some of you and the council should try it!

Bottom line remains the council chooses to spend millions of tax payers money on Dulwich Square yet Lordship Lane pavements are in a terrible state of repair and are often flooded.

Perhaps Cllr Leeming can assure you the pavement on Lordship Lane is perfect and never floods and you can come on here and tell us you have proof all is good!

 

P.S. is that a picture of Cllr McAsh and his grand CPZ plan per chance?

 

[RenatoMattos]

On 29/08/2024 at 17:20, Moovart said:

So mainly existing before the buildings were built.  

Attempting to recreate an historical Plane avenue with existing Victorian/Edwardian buildings with shallow foundations was imo a poorly thought out plan. 

Outside shops such as Joe and the Juice, there is so little pavement space that, when the recently planted Plane tree reaches full size with a trunk diameter of up to 1m, it will barely be possible to walk past it let alone get a buggy or wheelchair past!

The council could make the pavement wider but they won't because they need the money from the fines, pure greed!