former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[first mate]

I agree with ITATM, the matter has not been debated on here at all, the issue has been raised because many are not clear where the idea came from or of any consultation on the matter. Thank you for engaging providing some information but absolute clarity is necessary.

I have also noticed double yellows suddenly springing up where there used to be none- presumably all part of the agenda by some to further reduce parking? It makes no sense to on the one hand urge on developers but also systematically introduce a variety of measures that incrementally reduce parking space...where will that lead, oh yes, CPZ.

[James Barber]

Council has a document about H-bars (white lines): http://www.southwark.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/8732/ds_007_h-bar_markings

It appears to have been approved 8 May 2013. Let me work out under what governance this occurred.

Eitherway I have asked the cabinet member to reconsider this aspect.

[James Barber]

Council officers have just sent Dulwich councillos a spreadsheet with all the Cleaner, Greener, Safer applications. Please see attached. Do tell me the project you think most important.

Delighted to see College ward councillors have applied for funding to run projects we did in East Dulwich years ago - property marking kits, noticeboard, etc. Better late than never !

We just need Village ward councillors to do the same...

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

James, I heard that a lady was run over crossing E.Dulwich Grove yesterday (broken leg, I believe).

You kindly invited me to join an observation group when I expressed concerns about pedestrian safety sometime ago, but I haven't heard anything since.

[tiddles]

thanks for the attachment regarding the dropped kerbs H bars James. The document explains that H bars are sometimes installed, and now they are regarded as street clutter so they are not going to do that anymore - but it says they might introduce yellow lines instead. I feel that random extended bars of double yellow lines dotted about the place seriously increase street clutter. Rather bizarrely, I find white lines more benign than yellows? Most people regard street clutter as excessive signage - usually at head height that may or may not convey useful information - or actually hinder the provision of said information.

I love the way there is no discussion as to why this has been discussed, the pros and cons of them and how this might ultimately impact an area.

quite brilliant.

[MarkT]

James,

The link you gave, a few posts above, is to a Section of the Southwark Streetscape Design Manual (SSDM). That Section, DS007, relates to the redundancy of white T bars on pavement crossovers. For the rule on double yellow lines see DS132 paragraph 3.7 and DS002 paragraph 2.1.3.

The Decision to create the SSDM was taken in October 2012 by the Cabinet Member for Transport, Environment, and Recycling. Report title: Adoption of Southwark Streetscape Design Manual.

That Decision included the following paragraph:

?21. Notwithstanding the recommendation to progress the Framework Plan as a SPD it is recommended that Interim Highway Strategic Design Objectives and Strategic Design Policies in appendix 1 be agreed by the Cabinet Member. This will allow the Highway Authority to use these to permit the further structured development of the SSDM whilst awaiting the agreement of the SPD in several years time. These Interim Highway Authority Strategic Design Policies and Strategic Design Objectives will be superseded by those contained in the Framework Plan SPD once this is agreed.?

So the current SSDM is part of an interim arrangement. It is now 2 years since that Decision to create a Supplementary planning Document. What is the progress of that SPD?

[joom]

Hi James, what are the works going on by Conway on Overhill Road? Looks like new pavement but on Southwark site says major communications related work. Really hope it's the former and for both sides of the road. Also, are there any plans for the road itself to be resurfaced as it's atrocious?

[edanna]

James, we just had a really near miss on the pedestrian crossing on Barry Rd near the junction with Upland Rd. We were crossing with the green man at about 6 pm so it was dark and our 4 year old paused while still on the road - we paused with her and the light for motorists was amber when a car that had been travelling extremely fast passed within inches of us still on the crossing. Unfortunately I didn't get a complete reg but I wanted to point out yet another instance of the potential danger of this road and the very high speeds that some motorists reach coming along it. Pretty scary.

[James Barber]

Hi edanna,

How terrifying. I hope your child hasn't been completely freaked out. We had a similar experience and it was several days before our nerves were no longer frayed.

I have applied to use Cleaner, Greener, Safer funds to install average speed cameras on Barry Road. It is the road with the most prolific speeding. We're nearly 300% over subscribed so not yet clear which application we'll fund. And average sped cameras wouldn't guarantee anything but it would eliminate 999% of speeding. But perhaps the nutter who buzzed you is in the 0.1%.

If you have any other ideas for improving things please let me know.

Do you think the crossing is lit enough after dark for example?

Hi joom,

I don't know and will try and find out.

Hi MarkT,

Several year is more than two years I'm afraid. The SSDM is clearly not fit for purpose. It demands we use granite for new paving but the granite is imported from Chinas - so about as climate unfriendly as you could get in terms of CO2 emissions. We're not allowed to use fake UK manufactured fro building waste granite. You could not make this up.

Hi tiddles,

I agree. replacing single white lines with pairs of yellow lines increases rather than decreased street clutter. Perhaps the person producing it was colour blind!

Hi PGC,

Are you free this afternoon?

[edanna]

Thanks James - I don't think the crossing is particularly well lit - will have a closer look next time I'm over there in the dark - but in this instance I don't think it was because the driver hadn't seen us so much as he didn't care. If he were to get a ticket every time he bombed down that road it wouldn't make him any more considerate but hopefully it would make him a bit more careful with his speed.

[MarkT]

James,

the Cabinet Member's Decision anticipated "agreement of the SPD in several years time". After 2 years, would you not expect some progress on this such as a draft SPD open for consultation?

In the meantime I have put in a Freedom of Information Request, asking that the full SSDM is published on the Council's website. They will, no doubt, use the full 20 days allowed by law to do this, but we might see it by Christmas.

MarkT

[James Barber]

Hi MarkT,

not really. Several is more that 2. The full SSDM is published on the council website. Paindfully fragmented but it is there.

But I would very much welcome the design manual coming forward and with the painful experiences we've had with the current one we could really do a much better more professional job.

[intexasatthe moment]

a post which had added little to the debate so I'm deleting it .

[intexasatthe moment]

James - ok several probably = more than 2 . BUT the "several" referred to was in relation to an agreement on the SPD . As Mark has asked - wouldn't you expect some progress ,a draft for consultation by now ? But regardless of what you or we expect , do you know/can you find out what progress has been made in the process of creating an SPD ?

Could you help those of us who are struggling to find the full SSDM on Southwark's website by posting links to the fragments ? You've obviously found them ,perhaps you could share ?

"Council has a document about H-bars (white lines): [www.southwark.gov.uk]

It appears to have been approved 8 May 2013. Let me work out under what governance this occurred.

Eitherway I have asked the cabinet member to reconsider this aspect."

I see that you've asked for the painting of H bars to be considered . Did you also ask for the installation of double yellow lines over neighbouring properties for new applications to be considered ? ( this is not H bars OR yellow lines ,it is yellow lines for new dropped kerbs ,no choice involved )

[James Barber]

Hi ITATM,

We are talking about Sotuhwark Council. No I wouldn't expect Southwark Council to stick the absolute minimum possible timescales. Do you?

Please see SSDM here:

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200465/ssdm_background

You then click on the left to go through the bits that interest you.

I've asked for the white lines policy effecitvely to be reversed - old and new. I haven't had any response so far. Will keep you posted. Happy to forward email to you if you wish or cut and paste into PM if you'd prefer. Please let me know.

[first mate]

James,

Re the proposals for the junction of Northcross rd and Lordship Lane, I'm not sure I understand your point about currently redundant tarmac, which cars cannot use, being made more useful by building out the pavement.

I may have completely misunderstood but is is not the case that the areas you refer to are covered on one side by white zig zag lines and the other by double yellow lines? Cars cannot park on those areas but they are able to move forward both ways when the lights change. If the pavement is built out won't this reduce traffic to a single line at that point? You also have a bus stop either side as well as traffic lights, so the sum total could be massively reduced traffic flow. Won't this simply cause people to find more rat runs?

[intexasatthe moment]

James - thank you for the link . While clearly a work in progress it's not quite the painfull process you described .

"No I wouldn't expect Southwark Council to stick the absolute minimum possible timescales" - baffled by this remark .No suggestion of timescales, minimum or otherwise ,by me .

I did ,however ask a question "do you know/can you find out what progress has been made in the process of creating an SPD ? " Which you haven't answered .

I don't understand why ,when asked about the new yellow line policy you always respond by talking about white H bars .

"I've asked for the white lines policy effecitvely to be reversed - old and new."

The white lines policy is that they are no longer provided and that they will not be renewed .

The yellow lines/waiting restrictions is that for new dropped kerbs yellow lines will be installed across the dropped kerb and for 2 metres either side . It is not offered as something the applicant can choose instead of a white H bar . It is not offered instead of repainting white H bars . So dropping or reversing the H bar policy which applies to existing dropped kerbs , won't affect the yellow line policy .

So if you manage to get the H bar policy reversed it would mean that existing dropped kerbs could have their H bars repainted . But we'd still be left with the policy of installing double yellow lines across new dropped kerbs and over the neighbouring properties .

[James Barber]

Hi ITATM,

If white lines were allowed again then their would be no need for the double yellow lines. So yes I believe I am dealing with the double yellow lines by asking for white lines to be allowed again.

You do seem to be making this much more complicated than it needs to be.

I apologise if I hadn't explained this clearly.

But you make a good point about the 2m. This is clearly excessive so I will add that into my request. Thank you.

[MarkT]

Thanks James,

Your enquiries with regard to the SSDM section of the Council?s website, seem to be reaping rewards. The available ?downloads? now include 30 or more sections of the SSDM that, I think, were not there last week.

I am eagerly awaiting the addition of Section DS 900. Each Section seems to include the introductory note:

?See standard DS.900 for definitions of terms used in this design standard. Note in particular the definitions for ?should?, ?will?, ?may?, ?level 1 departure?, ?level 2 departure? and ?approving officer? as used to describe requirements.?

It seems to me that the word ?must? is not used in the SSDM. This allows the balancing of various factors in a specific instance. So the use of granite, for example may not be obligatory, as you suggest. Neither, it would appear, is there an absolute requirement for double yellow lines, extending 2 metres either side of a crossover.

The argument I understand for the 2 metre extensions is to increase sight-lines, in the interests of safety. Now I find that there is a whole section DS 114 of the SSDM devoted to Highway Visibility, which includes:

?research now suggests that providing excessive visibility can also introduce dangers as it may increase the speed that people drive or ride at.?

MarkT

[Gloves1980]

Dear James,

As a new resident in ED, having recently moved to Hindmans Road, I am appalled at the speed that people drive in my road and surrounding roads.

I know we have speed humps, however they seem ineffective when you can still drive at over 40 mph???!

There are young Children, Adults and pets that are being put at risk.

It seems to be a steady flow all day.

I wish to petition to get some enforcement cameras or the like to be installed in and around Hindmans Road.

Please can you advise my next course of action?

Best regards,

James.

[James Barber]

Hi MarkT,

Glad ot be of assistance.

I'll ask where we can find Section DS 900. Hopefully it will then appear.

Although the wording makes it appear non compulsory council officials treat it as compulsory and really avoid asking for exceptions. So in practice it is compulsory.

[James Barber]

Hi Gloves1980,

Unsually we don't have traffic count data for Hindmans Road. of the 65 roads in East Duwlich ward we have data on 53 of them. Please see the Southwark Maps system for all the others locally:

http://maps.southwark.gov.uk/connect/southwark.jsp?mapcfg=defaultmap&mylayer1=S_TrafficFlowSurveySouthwark&x=534253&y=174759&z=9

The speed cushions present on Hindmans Road will have some impact on speeding but not very much. Full road width sinusoidal speed humps would have much more traffic calming effect.

Let me ask council officials if they can undertake a traffic count which measures volumes of vehicles but also their speeds. This is a pre requisite for any additional traffic calming measures.

Any upgrade of speed cushions to humps would be unlikely to gain mainstream council funding as so many other roads have known high volumes of known speeding traffic. So I would anticipate having to use Cleaner, Greener, Safer funding.

it would cost circa ?1,800 per hump and 6 would be required = ?10,800 + ?5,000 council overheads of planning, consulting, advertising, legal notices.

But lets get a traffic count first.

[intexasatthe moment]

Hi James and I'm so glad you've now got the point about the 2 m extension of the double yellow lines and that you're going to add that to your query . Hooray !

Sorry if you think I'm complicating things . It's just that the H bars and the yellow lines seem to me to be two different issues . I assume H bars were to keep the access over the dropped kerb free ,but Southwark maintain that the yellow lines are for safety reasons ,to allow visibilty .Hence the 2m extension . I couldn't care less if the double yellow lines didn't extend over neighbouring frontages .

But anyway ,sounds like you've figured out the issue now . Thanks .

[James Barber]

A new alcohol licence has been applied for 151 Lordship Lane to seel alcohol Mon-Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 10am-10.30pm.

Please see attached.

The hours appear OTT.

Any objections or support should be emailed to [email protected] before 24 December 2014.

[James Barber]

Shop at 99 Crystal Palace Road - formerly a bookies SE side of junction Crystal Palace Road with Upland Road - has a planning application to turn the unit back into a home. Planning application 14/AP/4368.

Are you for or against this?

It looked odd on its own as a shop unit but with the right shop could help bridge the gap between the main East Dulwich shopping area and the little parade along Upland road.