Make Mayow Road Safer

The high number of road accidents on Mayow Road, close to schools and the park, is a cause of concern for local residents. They have set up a petition for safety on this road to be improved.

The residents of Sydenham and Mayow Road request immediate action from Councillor Sophie McGeevor. We recommend a full review of Mayow Road's safety risks and propose the following safety measures are put in place:

     - Full length speed bumps
     - Pedestrian crossings by all Mayow park entrances
     - A speed camera

You can sign the petition at:https://www.change.org/p/lewisham-councillor-sophie-mcgeevor-cabinet-member-for-environment-and-transport-make-mayow-road-safer

New Street Trees for Forest Hill

Stuart Checkley, member of Street Trees for Living, told us about their project to increase the number of trees around Lewisham and beyond.

Last winter at least 30 new trees were planted on the streets of Forest Hill. Each new tree on a particular street required the street's residents to raise the necessary funds to purchase it (£270) and to find someone to water the tree for its first two years. When more than one tree was to be planted on a street, a planting plan to increase the attractiveness of the street had to be formulated by the residents or their representative. In each case the resident in front of whose house each tree was to b
e planted had given their written consent to the planting.

After all this was done, Lewisham Council surveyed and approved the planting sites, and ordered the trees. The Council supervised the planting of the trees and organised their insurance.

But none of this would have happened without the voluntary organisation Street Trees for Living, which has supported local groups of residents through all of the above and has done so working closely with the Council. Street Trees for Living has helped to get over 200 trees planted before spring in different parts of Lewisham.

If you would like to get trees planted on your street next winter, contact Stuart@streettreesforliving.org. Stuart will help you to get started by giving you leaflets for surveying the views of residents in your street, through which you will undoubtedly discover other tree enthusiasts. You will then be able to work with your neighbours and Stuart to decide upon the trees that you would like, and before long you will get them planted.

And there are a lot of attractive trees to chose from. As our summers get hotter, so trees from hotter climes are starting to flourish on our streets, like this Crepe Myrtle (above), which this summer brightened up a sheltered stretch of Forest Hill Road in nearby Southwark.

A Better Crossing for Perry Vale

The Forest Hill Society have started a petition for a new crossing on Perry Vale.

 Many passengers exiting Forest Hill station wish to cross Perry Vale to go home and to visit local shops. Site lines are poor for pedestrians close to the station and shops, and the nearest safe crossing point is beyond all the shops (beside Perry Vale car park). This is not appropriate for a busy crossing point used by all sections of the community, including children and elderly people.

A light-controlled pedestrian crossing (pelican or puffin crossing) would provide a safer crossing point for pedestrians and better manage traffic on the junction with Waldram Place.

With the 20mph speed limit on this road, we believe that a light-control crossing at this location would provide greater safety for all road users. We ask that Lewisham prioritise the installation of a formal crossing at this location.

If you agree, please add your name to this petition.

A Liveable Neighbourhood for Forest Hill

In late July the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced a programme of ‘Liveable Neighbourhoods’ across London, to reduce reliance on cars and to encourage walking, cycling and use of public transport. £85.9 million has been made available to London’s boroughs for projects which seek to create healthier and more attractive places in which to live, play and do business. In anticipation of this, the Forest Hill Society and the Sydenham Society have been working behind the scenes to pave the way for a bid for a Liveable Neighbourhood covering Forest Hill, Perry Vale and Sydenham wards.

In the coming months, we will be holding community workshops across the area and engaging with key stakeholders, such as schools and elderly people’s groups, to create a truly community-driven plan for walking and cycling. Keep an eye out for our e-newsletters for details, but in the meantime we look forward to getting your input on this unique opportunity to make Forest Hill more liveable and healthier.

Dartmouth Road Improvement Notification Letter

Below are details from the contractor regarding the Dartmouth Road Improvements Works that will be carried out between May 2017 and March 2018. Full road closure will happen for six weeks from 9th January 2018.

A2216 Dartmouth Road

Work on the improvement of Dartmouth Road from A205 to Round hill Road will start on the 02nd May 2017 for 10 months. Kier Highway Services Ltd – London Highways Alliance Contractor are carrying out these works on behalf of London Borough of Lewisham.

The improvement work involve

·           Repaving footways, improving street lighting locations, new street furniture including landscaping and resurfacing of the road.

·           New public realm area outside of Heron House including seating and natural stone planters.

·           Re-positioning of existing signal poles and widening the existing Pelican crossing.

·           Installation of new entry treatments / speed tables within the side roads.

·           Installation of new parking bays.

·           Installation of new 20mph Speed limit.

·           Installation of additional bus stops.

 Where and when will the work take place?

This project is being completed in 6 phases:

·           Phase 1  will commence on 02/05/17 with the installation of new kerbs, footways, parking bays and granite raised entrance into Thorpewood Avenue. The works will start on the west side from Derby Hill up to Junction with Thorpewood Avenue. Access into Thorpewood Avenue will be via a diversion route that will be signed. Two-way manual traffic control will be implemented, to enable safe and efficient working on Dartmouth Road.

·           Phase 2  – will commence on 16/08/17 with the new kerb, footway and parking bay works continue on the east side from Thorpewood Avenue up to Dartmouth Place. Raised Granite entrances into Clyde Terrace and Dartmouth Place. Access into Clyde Terrace and Dartmouth Place will be signed via a diversion route. Two-way manual traffic control will be implemented, to enable safe and efficient working on Dartmouth Road.

·           Phase 3 – will commence on 20/07/17 with the new public realm area on the east and west sides of the road. The public realm extents are from Derby Hill to Centaury Yard. You will see installation of new kerbs, granite paving footways, street furniture and landscaping. Two-way manual traffic control will be implemented, to enable safe and efficient working on Dartmouth Road.

·           Phase 4A – will commence on 06/11/17 with the new kerb, footway and parking bay works continue on the west side from Century Yard to A205 Junction. Two way Traffic control to be implemented, to enable safe and efficient working.

·           Phase 4B -. Will commence on 09/01/18 with the new kerb, footway and parking bay works will be installed on the east side between Century Yard and A250 Junction. This Phase will run concurrently with the phase below, under a road closure of Dartmouth road.

·           Phase 5 – will commence on 09/01/18 on Dartmouth Road, between A205 and Round hill Rd will have new Granite Sections installed into the carriageway. A road closure of Dartmouth road will be in force to through traffic for 6 weeks to enable the works to take place. The Granite sections will be built in localised road closures, to allow access to shops and facilities via either end of Dartmouth road. A letter and local engagement will be sent out 3 months in advance of works.

·           Phase 6 - will commence on the 07/02/18 on Dartmouth Road, between A205 and Round hill Rd, the carriageway will be resurfaced. Works will be completed over approximately 3 nights and involve a full road closure for the three nights. A letter and local engagement will be sent out 1 month in advance of works. 

Full details of the letter can be read here.

The Ultra Low Emissions Zone – What Does it mean for Forest Hill?

By Brendan Cuddihy, Transport Committee

Transport for London (TfL) currently has plans in place to implement an ‘Ultra Low Emissions Zone’ (ULEZ) in Central London by 2020. This would require all motorised vehicles entering the current Congestion Charging Zone to meet exhaust emission standards or pay a daily charge.

Following the election of Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London, TfL has been consulting on both bringing forward the ULEZ plans and widening them to cover a much broader area of London. This is in response to growing concern over the effects of air quality on the health of Londoners. Many parts of London — including the South Circular where it passes through Forest Hill, Sydenham Road and the whole northern half of the London Borough of Lewisham — currently fail to meet legal limits for air pollution, most notably nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter. The pollutants come from many sources, but the dominant one is motor vehicle engines, especially those which are diesel-fuelled. The legal limits are based on research into the health effects of air pollution, and failing to meet them is causing thousands of premature deaths in London each year.

Last summer TfL completed a consultation on initial ideas for the ULEZ. There were over 15,000 respondents, a significant majority of whom supported greater action on air quality. More recently, TfL has recently concluded a second phase of consultation in order to start the statutory process required to change the initial ULEZ plans. The proposals included:

• Introducing an ‘Emissions Surcharge’ (which is also being referred to as the ‘T-Charge’, where T is for toxic) in October 2017 for older, more polluting vehicles driving into and within Central London. This would cover just the Congestion Charge Zone.
• Bringing forward the introduction of the ULEZ to 2019 instead of 2020.
• Extending the ULEZ from Central London to all of London for heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches, as early as 2019, but possibly later.
• Extending the ULEZ from Central London to the North and South Circular roads for all vehicles not meeting recent emissions standards as early as 2019, but possibly later.

For residents and businesses in Forest Hill, the impacts could be felt as early as next year if you drive into Central London and have an older vehicle. Those purchasing new vehicles in the foreseeable future, whether for business or personal use, might also be wise to pay heed to the emissions requirements in order to avoid incurring costs associated with the ULEZ. However, most impacts will be felt only when the ULEZ comes into force. If your vehicle doesn’t meet the required standards you will have to pay each day you drive into the area bounded by the North and South Circular roads; those living or having businesses inside this area may also have to pay a daily charge if their vehicle does not meet the required standards — even if it’s not driven each day.

While that may sound onerous, the rationale behind adopting the ULEZ should not be forgotten. The plans will no doubt drive investment in cleaner vehicles across London, both by businesses and private owners, including in areas which are not directly affected. The result of this will be cleaner air for all Londoners and, hopefully, a fall in the number of people whose lives are tragically cut short by air pollution.

 

Above: Concentrations of annual average NO₂ (Source: LAEI 2013)

Below: Proposed boundary of ULEZ on the North/South circular roads

One Way for the Future of Perry Vale?

For a number of years the Forest Hill Society has been looking for ways to improve the area to the east of Forest Hill station. In particular we have been looking at a small stretch of Perry Vale — between the South Circular and Waldram Crescent — where there are a small number of shops. We think this area could be revitalised and become a new destination in Forest Hill.

We have recently seen Waters’ fishmonger and greengrocer open, and Clapton Beers are planning to open a new craft beer shop later this year. But this road has much more potential. It is the only shopping street in the centre of Forest Hill which is not on a bus route, and we think this provides an opportunity to make it better.

Taking our inspiration from Catford Broadway and Lambs Conduit Street in Holborn, we have put together a proposal for this stretch of road to become one way, allowing more space for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as some parking and dedicated loading bays. By widening the pavements it would not only improve the area for pedestrians, but it could allow for some of the cafes to have tables outside.

This scheme was discussed at the Forest Hill Society AGM and at a recent Perry Vale Ward Assembly. We have also encouraged people to respond to our consultation, for which the results were overwhelmingly positive (although some useful feedback was received from a number of respondents).
Perry Vale councillors are now working with Lewisham Council’s transport team to look at putting together a bid for funding from TfL to further develop the scheme and implement the necessary changes to the road layout.

This is not really a new idea, but the Forest Hill Society has turned an aspiration into a realistic plan, which can now be pursued further by Lewisham Council. 

Following the 20mph scheme now instituted across Lewisham, the Council are taking another look at the possibility of a pedestrian crossing close to the station — on the Perry Vale side, which would make a big difference to many pedestrians.

Improving Dartmouth Road

Over the course of 2017, Dartmouth Road will be under-going a makeover with the aim of improving the street for all road users. This will cause a fair amount of disruption as sections of the road will require a contra-flow system to be instituted — whereby traffic lights will permit traffic to flow in only one direction at a time — to allow work to proceed as quickly as possible without completely closing this important route for buses and other vehicles.

With £1.2m being spent on the project there are quite a lot of improvements that will be made, but they won’t transform Dartmouth Road into a high street ‘paradise’ since there are simply too many constraints to make that possible.

Pedestrians will see some of the greatest improvements, with slightly wider pavements where permissible, better-levelled pavements that don’t try to trip you up every few steps, and narrower roads which will be easier to cross in places. However, there will not be any pedestrian islands, and the scheme will not address the issues at the junction with the South Circular, as this is a TfL-controlled road.

Bus passengers will benefit from two new bus stops closer to the shops and swimming pools on Dartmouth Road. Buses will be able to move more easily because of the replacement of single yellow lines with double yellow lines, which will reduce the problem that buses have in trying to get passed parked cars. However, there will not be any bus-stop bays for the buses, so cars will have to wait for them to load and unload passengers.

Parking will be slightly improved, with a few additional parking bays located opposite the pool. In addition, there will be some loading bays on wider parts of the pavement, allowing for traders to load and unload without creating any pinch-points in the road. We are hoping that parking bays will allow parking for slightly longer than the current 30-minute limit. Residents’ parking will not be permitted opposite Holy Trinity School, as this location next to a bus stop and a pedestrian crossing outside the school is no longer suitable for parking.

Cars and other vehicles are expected to encounter smoother-flowing traffic on Dartmouth Road. While there may well be queues up to the traffic lights to join the South Circular, reducing the problem parking will ensure that traffic will flow smoother when it can and avoid having to wait for buses and lorries to manoeuvre past each other.

Cyclists will, unfortunately, gain little benefit from the scheme. Dartmouth Road is not cycle-friendly today and it will not be much better after this scheme has been completed. The best that has been suggested is that, by narrowing the road, vehicles will be less tempted to overtake cyclists without giving them the necessary space.

Although 2017 will not be fun for users of Dartmouth Road while the works drag on for at least nine months, we can look forward to a more welcoming town centre and a slightly improved road layout in 2018.

Proposal for a One-Way Scheme on Perry Vale

The Forest Hill Society has drafted a proposal for a one-way scheme for a small section of the Perry Vale road.

The premise of this proposal is that with some limited changes to the road/walkway layout, this area could set the basis for a more attractive location: for commuters, residents and businesses. While an outline scheme has been proposed, we would expect that a more detailed review (including a possible temporary trial) would be carried out by the appropriate planning and transport authorities prior to full implementation.

We invite you to consider the proposal (shared below), and to let us know your thoughts via the survey link.

We plan to then include all responses in a report, and possible Petition, to Lewisham council, as your views will bring some local context to the proposal in terms of local support, perceived benefits of the scheme and any potential issues.


Opportunity Statement
Perry Vale is the road adjacent to Forest Hill Station.
While in recent years the suburb of Forest Hill has undergone healthy regeneration (in part due to the improved connectivity of its rail station), it cannot be said that both entry points to local infrastructure hub have thrived to the same extent.

Perry Vale businesses naturally report high passing footfall, but note that the area does not yet represent a destination for retail or leisure.

We propose that there exists an opportunity to foster the kind of organic improvements in area that have so far eluded it: principally through reconfiguration of road usage.

There are already commercial developments underway which can contribute to the regeneration of this de-facto hub entry point, and we feel that the proposed changes presented here would impact positively on the character and utility of the area concerned, and reflect many principles of key London and Lewisham policies.

After much consideration, and discussions with businesses and residents, we invite Lewisham council to consider this proposal in its planning cycle.

Add caption

 


Please complete our survey to let us know your views.

Consultation: Dartmouth Road Streetscape Improvements

Lewisham Council is conducting a consultation process to agree significant improvements to Dartmouth Road between the junction with London Road and Thorpewood Avenue. The Council would like to receive further comments on these documents from the community, to inform the continuing detailed design process.

Please respond either email to transport@lewisham.gov.uk. The closing date is midnight on Sunday 17 January 2016.

Full details on: https://lewisham-consult.objective.co.uk/portal/regeneration/regeneration_and_asset_management/dartmouth_road_streetscape_improvements?tab=info

 

Dartmouth Road Consultation Feedback

 Following the publication of the consultation document by Lewisham Council regarding improvements to Dartmouth Road, the Forest Hill Society has responded with some of our concerns and priorities around the scheme.

• Welcome more parking and longer parking times
• Welcome more / better positioned bus stops serving the town centre
• Welcome opportunity to reduce street clutter
• Wish to see double yellow lines for the north section of Dartmouth Road, and improved parking enforcement
• Concern over pedestrian priority crossings with unclear enforcement measures
• Would like to see improvements for cyclists around Forest Hill

The full text of the response can be read here.

Dartmouth Road improvements work

It is still early days but we know that Lewisham Council have been successful in their bid for funds from TfL to improve Dartmouth Road (north). In total it appears that £650,000 has been allocated over the next two years to make substantial changes to a key section of the high street.

There are a number of challenges in the stretch of road from the swimming pool to the station, these include; lack of parking/too little time in parking bays, parking away from bays blocking the road and the footpath, difficulty for pedestrians crossing the road, lack of provision for cyclists, and poor use of public spaces outside Sylvan Post and Heron House.

We are expecting consultation by Lewisham Council to identify priorities and find solutions that are right for shops, shoppers, school children, and bus routes. We will keep you updated about the plans as we find out more over the next few months.

Road Improvements to Brockley Rise and Stondon Park

Lewisham Council has secured funding from Transport for London through the Local Improvement Plan to develop proposals for improving the public realm along various sections of the ‘Brockley Corridor’ - the main north-south route between the South Circular and Brockley Cross.

They are now consulting with local people in order to gain a better understanding of issues within the Corridor and potential for improvements, in order to inform more detailed designs.

Full document is available at http://lewisham-consult.objective.co.uk/file/3081917
And you can respond to the consultation at http://lewisham-consult.objective.co.uk/portal/regeneration/t/brockleycorridor

Road Closures for 'several days'

From Transport for London:

I am writing to let you know about travel disruption in the Forest Hill area, while Thames Water carries out emergency repairs on a collapsed sewer. This will start from 21:00 tonight and is expected to last several days.

The A205 London Road will be restricted to one lane in both directions at the junction with Devonshire Road, outside Forest Hill station. There will be no right turn from the A205 London Road into Dartmouth Road. Road users are advised to avoid the area.

Bus routes 176 and 197 will be diverted via Sydenham Hill and Kirkdale and will not serve London Road, Forest Hill station and Dartmouth Road. Customers are advised to use nearby stops in Lordship Lane or Kirkdale.

To check for future updates on the roadworks, please visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk

Transport Update

We all love Forest Hill, but we do occasionally need to leave and that’s when it’s helpful to have good train services and road links. The Society’s Transport Committee is extremely busy at the moment as it grapples with the coming of the Overground, road improvements and car parking.

East London Line Overground (ELL)

Test trains are already running through Forest Hill and we are pretty confident that services from Crystal Palace and West Croydon will start on May 23rd. The new services will provide a significant increase in capacity with eight ELL trains per hour in each direction. The big question remains as to how many people will actually want to use the new trains to go to Canada Water, Shoreditch High Street or to the delights of Dalston Junction.

Trains

We have been campaigning against the reduction of train services to London Bridge from the present 6 trains an hour to four trains an hour from the date of the opening of the ELL. The only exception will be during the morning peak when there will be six trains an hour to London Bridge. Our efforts resulted in an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on 5th February when our MP, Jim Dowd, made a lengthy speech about train services in the area. He told MPs that members of the Forest Hill Society wanted to know why the ELL should not be reduced rather than the service to London Bridge until it becomes evident that there is a greater demand for services on the ELL.

Despite Jim’s actions, it seems probable that the new timetable will come into force as planned.

The direct service to Charing Cross ended before Christmas in spite of our campaign to save it. We marked the event by staging a mock funeral on the final day of services to the West End. This received considerable press coverage and a spot on the evening TV news.

Problems with the introduction of Oyster are too complex to go into here – suffice it to say that the Society has been meeting TfL and London Overground Rail Ltd (LOROL) to try to get them resolved as soon as possible. We have also lobbied successfully to keep the exit from Forest Hill Station onto Perry Vale open whenever trains are running.

Roads

We have been contributing to a study initiated by the Perry Vale Assembly to look at traffic and pedestrian issues in Perry Vale and Perry Rise. This has included walking the street with consultants and a film crew looking at all the potential trouble spots. The consultants will be reporting back and debating the issues at a couple of public meetings.

Car Parking

We are pleased to report that as a result of pressure from the Society and others, the Council has reached agreement with Sainsbury’s to provide two hours of free parking in the Pearcefield Road car park which should encourage people to do more shopping in Forest Hill. We are pressing for better signage to Forest Hill car parks with signs that emphasise the free parking period rather than the fact that they are Pay and Display.

If you have any transport or road related issues that you would like the Society to take up on your behalf, please email Andrew.

Perry Vale closed for another month

Perry Vale was due to reopen this week unfortunately it has been delayed due to Victorian water mains and bad weather. Lewisham council have provided us with the following information:

With regard to the timescales for the scheme, I believe we are about a month behind schedule. This has been due to excavating around old Victorian water mains. We have caused damage to the pipes on a number of occasions. Therefore we had to continue the work by hand, which is a very slow process on a scheme of such a size. Also, we have lost time due to extremely bad weather.

We are now at a stage where we are constructing the carriageway. This is again causing difficulty as we are having to lay the materials by hand to ensure no damage is caused to the water mains below. I am hoping that the lower layers of carriageway will be constructed by the end of the week and then we will start on the construction of the new footways next week. Once all the kerbs have been installed we can then complete the construction of the carriageway, while at the same time laying paving slabs. Once the carriageway has been completed we can open the road and allow vehicles to once again drive along Perry Vale. If the footways have not been completed we will provide temporary traffic lights to enable pedestrians to walk safely within the carriageway.

I am hoping that the works will be complete by the Friday 3rd October 2008.

Contrary to some speculation Berkeley Homes are not responsible for the work being carried out and so the temporary suspension of work at Forest Hill Central will have little effect on the road works. Further work will be undertaken (hopefully later this year) on the underpass with funds already secured from Berkeley Homes.

Local Roads

Dartmouth Road has had Speed Bumps and 2 Speed Tables built. The effect is to slow down traffic, particularly opposite the Primary and Secondary schools where the Speed Tables have been built. Parking remains a problem at the Forest Hill Station end of the road where on a Sunday cars are parked three-quarters on the pavement.

Honor Oak Road with Honor Oak Park is underway as we go to press. The first effect, while the building is taking place, is to slow the traffic down even further particularly towards the traffic lights with London Road. The next plan will be to lobby for the phasing of these traffic lights to be lengthened to prevent such a queue – at least 20 cars for most of the day. We will be monitoring these works to check if the desired effects have been achieved and that the safety measures are being enforced. Also the new parking restrictions at the London Road end of Honor Oak Road will need to be enforced, as will the new parking restrictions on Honor Oak Park near Honor Oak Station.

Between Sunderland Road and Trilby Road

For many residents in SE23, the path between Trilby Road and Sunderland Road is an excellent shortcut to and from the station. Following an incident in November, the Forest Hill Society requested that action be taken to improve this pathway.

Since then a number of meetings have taken place involving Councillor John Paschoud, representatives of Forest Hill Society, the police, Perrymount School, Lewisham Council and the Methodist Church. As a result we have already improved the lighting by removing branches from a tree blocking the lamppost and plans are coming together to spend some of the Perry Vale locality fund on other improvements to this path, including:

• Removal of all old concrete fence-posts along the path
• Fencing across the Sunderland Road end (to prevent cars entering the alley)
• Convex mirror on lamppost at Trilby Road end
• Planting along school edge
• Planting to soften concrete wall bounding nature reserve
• Hedge or similar along flats edge
• Possible replacement of concrete wall on boundary with house on Trilby Road
• Resurfacing of the path

We are also hopefully that the overgrown area on Shipman Rd can be improved to make a better exit from this end of the path.

See also Tree Axed

Tree Axed!

Adrienne and Michael from FH Society met with Councillor Paschoud and local Police Officers regarding the pathway between Shipman Road and Sunderland Road. This path is a useful shortcut for many residents in Perry Vale Ward wishing to get to the station and Forest Hill town centre, as well as Perrymount School right beside the path.

We are investigating ways to make the path feel safer and deal with some of the overgrown areas around the path. There was already some discussions about way to improve this path but there was an incident there in early November which has increased everybody's desire to improve the area.

Within a few days of discussing this with John Paschoud I am please to say the tree at the middle of the path has been cut back to avoid blocking the light from the lamppost. This path is now one of the best lit paths in Forest Hill but it still needs more improvements over the longer term.