The newly landscaped Dulwich Square

[Earl Aelfheah]

The works to re-landscape the square in Dulwich Village are set to complete this weekend I believe. Despite all the 'controversy', over its creation and legitimate questions over cost, it is in my opinion, looking great (and a huge improvement on the queue of idling cars that were constantly sat at that junction 4 years ago. A great new public space for people to sit, relax and congregate.  

Edited November 12, 2024 by Earl Aelfheah

[alice]

You are a major stirrer

[Spartacus]

Maybe show how great it is with a real photo and not an artists impression 😉

[Earl Aelfheah]

It's not finished yet. But not looking too dissimilar from the artist's impression. Come the summer I think it'll be great.

[tiddles]

what a shocking waste of money 

[first mate]

Ah,  Vanity Square, the multi million pound, unnecessary reconfiguration of a major junction, on the basis that Dulwich Village just has nowhere for people to meet and socialise, or children to gambol and play. And it is a wonderful place to pop a Christmas tree.

Mind you, with the daily examples of careless cycling I have witnessed recently, pedestrians will need to keep their wits about them, as nowhere on Vanity Square is off limits for anyone on two wheels.

There is also the emerging issue of where the lovely paving, unique to Vanity Square, was sourced, which seems rather at odds with this alleged jewel in Southwark's 'green' crown.

 

 

[Earl Aelfheah]

We should push to have something similar created in East Dulwich. North Cross road between Lordship Lane and Nutfield Road would be perfect. Could close to through traffic and do some landscaping, create some seating etc. 

[first mate]

Who are 'we'? Quite how you can support this huge expenditure in one of the wealthiest parts of the Borough, in a cost of living crisis, is astonishing. However, in similar vein to Alice's view above, it seems as though you are being deliberately provocative by raising what you know to be a traffic issue in the main section. Now why would you do that?

Admin do you want to move this thread into the traffic section?

Edited November 12, 2024 by first mate

[Earl Aelfheah]

It's not about traffic. Just a discussion concerning improvements to the public realm. It would be great to have a new East Dulwich public square. May I assume you're supportive First Mate?

Edited November 12, 2024 by Earl Aelfheah

[first mate]

It is never wise to assume Earl and 'improvement' is very much about perspective; if only life were all about aesthetics and how 'pretty' something looked could be our only priority. But, Vanity Square, the money wasting folly you want to roll out elsewhere, has been foisted on the area by an alleged cash-strapped council. Not only that, I doubt it will look as appealing or be as user friendly once careless cyclists come barrelling through in greater numbers and it becomes a handy Lime bike dumping ground.

[Rockets]

Earl, what are your thoughts on the council shipping those lovely pavement tiles from India (rather than Yorkshire) to use to adorn your beloved square...any concerns that this will have had an necessarily negative impact on the environment?

Is that not a little hypocritical?

BTW I actually preferred the Square in its previous form before this huge amount of tax-payers money was wasted on it - it now looks like a huge bright concrete landing pad and I am not sure the area looks any nicer for it. It all feels a bit Milton Keynes and I think is out of character with the rest of the Village.

[Tlkamk]

Roads should be roads and pavements be pavements.  All the changes to the roads only keep traffic on them for longer.

[satsuma]

It's great, f*** the idling cars.

[SpringTime]

  On 12/11/2024 at 15:01, Earl Aelfheah said:

The works to re-landscape the square in Dulwich Village are set to complete this weekend I believe. Despite all the 'controversy', over its creation and legitimate questions over cost, it is in my opinion, looking great (and a huge improvement on the queue of idling cars that were constantly sat at that junction 4 years ago. A great new public space for people to sit, relax and congregate.  

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Is this picture a joke?

[malumbu]

Thanks Earl, I'll check it out

[Rockets]

I think Earl makes a very good point that needs considering here - idling cars left that junction 4 years ago (and this is a good thing) but since then the council has spent more and more money on redesigning the junction over and over again.

The question remains, and to Earl's point about the cars going 4 years ago and the fact every works has been just to tweak the design - you have to ask why? Can anyone pinpoint what has changed to warrant the £1.5m of tax-payers money - it seems to me all they have done is increase the risk to pedestrians, slowed down emergency service access and removed parking which is of detrimental impact to the shops. Oh and put in really expensive and environmentally unfriendly paving and added a couple of new benches and new traffic lights.

 

Edited November 12, 2024 by Rockets

[MargniSteve]

  On 12/11/2024 at 15:35, Earl Aelfheah said:

We should push to have something similar created in East Dulwich. North Cross road between Lordship Lane and Nutfield Road would be perfect. Could close to through traffic and do some landscaping, create some seating etc. 

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Agreed, and arguably a much better project given the market is a bit tatty. Could be greatly improved with a bit of greenery, some seating and paving.

[Sue]

  On 12/11/2024 at 23:32, MargniSteve said:

Agreed, and arguably a much better project given the market is a bit tatty. Could be greatly improved with a bit of greenery, some seating and paving.

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The market is only there for a few hours on Saturdays!

Surely all street markets are "a bit tatty"!

That seems a strange reason to close a road permanently to traffic! 

There is already at least one seat  in North Cross Road (which seems to be quite well used),  apart from those for customers of The Palmerston,  and several of the shops in the road have greenery outside 

[tiddles]

I had no idea about the sourcing of the paving stones - where is the info on this? The extension of the paved area seems completely unjustified- plus, there is a cycle lane right thru the middle so there are bound to be some near misses with pedestrians. 

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Oh God not this shit again. 4 years you lot have been moaning about a side road being closed and nothing is ever good enough. 

[Penguin68]

  On 13/11/2024 at 07:50, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

4 years you lot have been moaning about a side road being closed and nothing is ever good enough. 

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It's not actually just, or even, a 'side road' - it is a route through to other roads which if permanently cut will simply funnel traffic down smaller, and more genuine, side roads. It is also a road which has many shops and indeed restaurants - of course they are privately owned so I'm sure some people would be happy to see them fail.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Proving my point there. 🎩

[Dulwichmudlark]

A cyclist dystopia there will be soy drinking peddle cucks everywhere 

[jazzer]

ADMIN, Please can this be moved to The Lounge where they can bicker and argue to their hearts content rather than have another slagging match right here and now.

[snowy]

  On 13/11/2024 at 09:37, Dulwichmudlark said:

A cyclist dystopia there will be soy drinking peddle cucks everywhere 

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But apparently no punctuation.