Roadworks in Lordship Lane at end of North Cross Road

[Zebedee Tring]

Charlie Smith, if you want to serve the people of East Dulwich, you should start to ask some searching questions about the Council's dubiously close relationship with Conway's and the poor quality of the work that Conway's carry out throughout the Borough. For a start, how have Conway's been able to get away with taking such a long time to carry out the LL/Nrth X Rd junction works and if they haven't been penalised under the Council's contract with them for this work, why not?

[first mate]

Great to hear from you Councillor Smith and I for one hope you are a regular visitor from now on.

Aside from comments about the woeful progress of works on Northcross Road, could you also kindly take a look at threads on 20mph as well as mass objections to closure of various roads and extending double yellow lines?

I think you'll find that very few ordinary posters on here are politically motivated they just want Councillors to listen to valid objections and try to intervene/ represent local interests rather than appear to be intent on driving through manifesto pledges come what may.

[DulwichFox]

Charlie Smith Wrote:

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> I would not want anyone to get the wrong

> impression from Jim's post. He did not actually

> attend the meeting the other morning in Lordship

> Lane at 8am with Southwark Council Officers and a

> representative from Conway's. I was there at eight

> and pointed out the chips and the cracks and the

> badly laid slabs. I too am unhappy with the time

> this job took and will be asking the reasons why.

> As for JB, I think it is about time he stopped

> taking credit for nearly everything that goes on

> in East Dulwich. I am sure that if England had won

> the rugby world cup, he would have said it was

> down to him! So let us all get on serving the

> people of East Dulwich and not blowing our own

> trumpet.

>

> Regards

>

> Councillor Charlie Smith

> Labour Member East Dulwich Ward

Yes indeed nice to hear from you Councillor Smith.. (Labour)

I have known Councillor Barber for many years and worked in the same building, different department when were both in Telecoms..

He is a nice enough Chap (for a Liberal Democrat) :) but does indeed like to blow his own trumpet.. as you so put it..

He does seem to get much of the credit for what goes on in East Dulwich Single handily authorising the building of Schools,

Cinemas and demolishing long standing less appealing stores for more up-market outlets in a vain attempt to gain popularity and for self interest.

Look forward to hearing more of Labours involvement in the area..

DulwichFox

[Charlie Smith]

Dear ZT. I do not have any evidence to suggest there is a dubious relationship between Southwark and Conway's. What I have been saying is that I think it is bad practice to put all our eggs in one basket. It has been suggested to me that it is a cosy relationship. Not sure that this is OK. The problem with relying on one contractor is during busy times the contractor is for ever sending operatives from one job to the other for small amounts of time, which delays all of the works. I would like to see a situation where the contractor is only given so many jobs, and is not given any more work until they have completed an agreed proportion. I had already asked about the delay in completing the Lordship Lane works but was only given an unsatisfactory reply. I hope to take this, and the other issues, up with the Cabinet member responsible very soon.

Dear FM. I understand there has been much discussion regarding the 20 mph speed limits. I believe that we can save lives with the 20 mph limit. Research has shown that a child struck by a vehicle going at 20 mph is much more likely to survive than a child struck by a 30 mph vehicle. I hope we all get used to it given time. I remember when the seat belt law was introduced. Many were against. Now we don't give it a thought.

I have not recommended closure of any roads in East Dulwich. I did spell out a number of options to some residents a while back which included speed humps, more signage and as a last resort a barrier. Unfortunately this was seized upon by those residents who thought it was the only option. We will have to wait to see the outcome of the feasibility study in the new year.

I don't want to use this Forum as a political tool. I have kept well away in the past as there are a few people who just want to be unpleasant. It should be a means for some grown up discussion and not for the few to snide behind their anonymity.

Regards

Councillor Charlie Smith

Labour Member for the East Dulwich Ward

[Zebedee Tring]

Cllr Smith, many thanks for your reply.

I'd be grateful if you could do all that you can to ensure that contractors other than Conway's are given a fair crack of the whip.

[mockingbird]

Charlie Smith Wrote:

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> I would not want anyone to get the wrong

.......................................>

> Regards

>

> Councillor Charlie Smith

> Labour Member East Dulwich Ward

Really good to have another Councillor voice and interest. Welcome Charlie, we need you.

[spider69]

Have you asked all Southwark Residents if they want the 20 mph.

Nobody that I know thinks it is warranted. Side residential streets yes, busy major roads no.

I quess it would be embarrassing to back track to actually show some sort of common sense rather than pure political dogma.

Page 7 put of 10 in the manifesto regarding this was a little sneaky.

[maxxi]

deleted as dup. on other thread

[first mate]

Dear Councillor Smith,

No doubt 20 mph has been brought in with the best intentions but the reality does not square with them.

Please, if you have not already, do drive at various times when traffic is at its worst and try the various hills for yourself?

I understand that you hope it'll all turn out for the best but the road to getting there is proving dangerous and stressful all round, and you don't know how long the process of adaptation will take, if ever..I, like many, do not feel it is worth it. No problem with 20 mph on residential roads but not necessary on main artery roads and, it would seem, the police agree?

[Sue]

Going back to the North Cross Road/Lordship Lane pavement, I got off the bus last week and tripped over unevenly laid small cobbles (I think that's what they're called).

Surely it's a bit basic that you lay paving stones level so that they're not a hazard? This whole project has just been appalling.

[edhistory]

Send in Ian Batcock.

[Sue]

Who?! Googling didn't help, before anyone suggests it :))

[tiddles]

Councillor Smith

thank you for coming on board. I think many people feel that the contractors Southwark employ are allowed to get away with a lot. The Road contractors seem particularly inefficient with little or no consequences for shoddy or overly long projects, and the housing contractors appear to be almost criminal.

Could we have your thoughts on the double yellow lines across driveways. This seems another initiative to make things as irritating as possible for car owners.

I think most people feel quite frustrated with the amount of fiddling about that the council seems to undertake. No doubt spending quite a lot of money for little or no gain - north cross road, townley road, to name but two.

[DulwichFox]

I doubt that the designers of most road 'improvement' schemes ever visit the area..

Mostly they will sit at their computer terminals playing a type of SimCity simulation game..

Closing off roads and creating one way systems with no real understanding of traffic flow in the area..

No doubt getting paid handsomely for doing so.. Utter waste of money and resources.

DulwichFox...

[Charles Notice]

Looks like you are not the only one who thinks this is the case

"Posted by richard tudor Yesterday, 06:47PM

Councils want to cock up traffic flows so they can bring in more and more control.

It also does not help that young and thrusting graduates with throbbing red felt pens need to make their mark for saving the planet and introduce the theory that they have learnt from books.

Why did we never have this mass balls up before?"

[edhistory]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Who?! Googling didn't help, before anyone suggests

> it :))

Sue,

Ian Batcock is a certified SoSRA who works for AECOM Ltd.

He is certified to conduct a safety audit on the dangerous surface that caused your accident.

F.M.Conway AECOM Ltd is jointly owned (50/50) by F.M.Conway Ltd and AECOM Ltd.

There should be no difficuly getting Ian Batcock to do an independent safety audit of the new works.

John

[Sue]

edhistory Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

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

> -----

> > Who?! Googling didn't help, before anyone

> suggests

> > it :))

>

>

> Sue,

>

> Ian Batcock is a certified SoSRA who works for

> AECOM Ltd.

>

> He is certified to conduct a safety audit on the

> dangerous surface that caused your accident.

>

> F.M.Conway AECOM Ltd is jointly owned (50/50) by

> F.M.Conway Ltd and AECOM Ltd.

>

> There should be no difficuly getting Ian Batcock

> to do an independent safety audit of the new

> works.

>

> John

Ah :(

[James Barber]

Guys. This junction has had an entry treatment added. That's it. It isn't permanently closed. It hasn't been made one way.

It took an age to make happen. But is in my eyes a big improvement for pedestrians and should reduce the chances of crashes at this junction.

it should have the same capacity as before - it will just be a little slower and easier for people walking. It will also make a nicer entrance to our street market and permanent shopping area on North Cross road.

What is does do is show up the state of surrounding Lordship Lane.

[first mate]

James, what crashes?

Sorry, this is not the amazing improvement you claim. People would have visited the market without any of this. As it is, one pedestrian reports that they recently tripped as the cobbles are so badly laid. When the market is on much of that area is shut to traffic anyhow, so I really don't get the points you are making.

Just go a little further down to Upland and Crystal Palace and the paths are appalling and, of course much of the road and pavement now building sites. Those poor shopkeepers are also probably losing trade. What about looking at that?

[DulwichFox]

I'm sick to death with the amount of money being spent to enhance the so called market..

It seems to be the most important issue in East Dulwich over recent years..

With its Red Brick paving.. Road closures .. Elevated paving .. and now Gates being installed...

There are more important issues in the area.

DF

[spider69]

A statue of JB maybe?

[DulwichFox]

I think the general etiquette is that one usually has to be dead to have a Statue

although..in 2007 The 81-year-old ex-Premier(Margaret Thatcher) broke with centuries of tradition by having the ?80,000 monument erected to her while she is still alive.

So if it was good enough for thatcher ? Why not...

Foxy

[Earl Aelfheah]

The work on LS Lane took an unbelievable amount of time for what is a pretty minor / underwhelming change. I would love to know how much it cost in the end.

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm sick to death with the amount of money being

> spent to enhance the so called market..

>

> It seems to be the most important issue in East

> Dulwich over recent years..

>

> With its Red Brick paving.. Road closures ..

> Elevated paving .. and now Gates being

> installed...

>

> There are more important issues in the area.

>

Foxy, it's not a "so called" market! It is in fact a market :)

And the red brick paving was not installed to enhance the market - it was nothing to do with the market.

It's been there for years, and if memory serves it was because local residents were asked for suggestions to improve North Cross Road. Several were put forward and I (not that I'm immodest at all, perish the thought) suggested improving the pavement, which was what was in the end chosen.

Unless I'm even more senile than I suspect and have imagined the whole thing :))

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> DulwichFox Wrote:

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

> -----

> > I'm sick to death with the amount of money

> being

> > spent to enhance the so called market..

> >

> > It seems to be the most important issue in

> East

> > Dulwich over recent years..

> >

> > With its Red Brick paving.. Road closures ..

> > Elevated paving .. and now Gates being

> > installed...

> >

> > There are more important issues in the area.

> >

>

>

>

> Foxy, it's not a "so called" market! It is in fact

> a market :)

>

> And the red brick paving was not installed to

> enhance the market - it was nothing to do with the

> market.

>

> It's been there for years, and if memory serves it

> was because local residents were asked for

> suggestions to improve North Cross Road. Several

> were put forward and I (not that I'm immodest at

> all, perish the thought) suggested improving the

> pavement, which was what was in the end chosen.

>

> Unless I'm even more senile than I suspect and

> have imagined the whole thing :))

Why don't they repair / improve the 'dangerous trip hazard pavements' opposite the Co-Op..

The so called market has in theory always been there.. There were stalls out on occasion back in the 80's

when I first moved here and in the past I understand stalls went right up to Crystal Palace road.

The market fell into decline.. It's nothing new.

It was a real market selling fruit & veg amongst other things that Local people needed.

Not just Pig Roast, Hotdogs, 'Street Food' ? Unrefrigerated Meats and cheeses. Pop corn.

and a few 'Tat' stalls..

Does not constitute a market..

How often do you shop there.. ?

The only thing I have EVER bought there is the Tiger Tea, but the Tea Guy (lovely chap that he is)

is only there one a month at the best.

Foxy