What’s happening you may ask about the proposed road closures in Lewisham? These were originally proposed for Lee Green and other parts of the Borough under the Healthy Neighbourhood scheme, but are now being put forward as Covid-19 epidemic emergency responses. At least that seems to be the justification as it is proving impossible to obtain any information on them from the Council. I suspect this is a deliberate obstruction of local democracy but I am submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain more information.
In the meantime, Councillor Sophie McGeevor has issued the following Tweet: “As part of our emergency roll out of measures to support walking and cycling in Lewisham 6 modal filters (of an initial phase of 30) are being implemented next week!”
The roads involved are: Scawen Road (see photo above), George Lane, Kitto Road, Glenbow Rd, South Row, Bishopsthorpe Rd and Silverdale. These are spread around the borough so why they have been selected is not obvious.
You can see more information and add some comments here: https://lewishamcovidresidentialstreets.commonplace.is/overview
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ADD SOME NEGATIVE COMMENTS AND “LIKE” THOSE WHO OPPOSE THESE CLOSURES!
You could also send comments to Sophie McGeevor who is responsible for these plans – her email address is CllrSophie.McGeevor@lewisham.gov.uk
If you don’t object, these closures are likely to be made permanent! The closures are likely to be implemented via Experimental Traffic Orders but these do not yet appear to have been published. It is important to oppose them when published. You should be able to find them in The Gazette (see https://www.thegazette.co.uk/ ) where all official notices appear. To search for notices from any London Borough use the search function to search for the boroughs name, e.g. “London Borough of Lewisham”).
We suggest that roads should not be closed without prior public consultations that include both local residents and road users. Such road closures do not help with social distancing so there is no justification for them as “emergency” measures. They create more traffic congestion and longer journey times. All roads should be shared by different users, not closed to vehicle traffic.
These roads are being closed using “Modal Filters” which is simply a euphemism and a deliberate misleading of the public. Only cyclists can easily get through such closures, and they will even obstruct emergency service vehicles.
MAKE SURE YOU OBJECT AND STOP THE CLOSURES SPREADING!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drivers_London
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As normal lewisham council just want to mesh the road network up for money.
This is clearly nothing to do with Covid 19 or air pollution. All of the arguments for those are total nonsense. It is about keeping the poor and the Enthic Minorities from the Catford side travelling to the nice white side with Sainsbury’s rather than Lidl and Aldi, Manor House Gardens with its nice cafe, lake and middle class white families, same with Manor Park.
Feel so sorry for the people that live there as all emergency services and all people that work on property will not go there well done lewisham council
All these measures have done is create more congestion and pollution and therefore less safety on the main arterial roads in the borough, no thought for the poor residents that live on those roads. Well done sophie mcgeevor and lewisham council.
The main roads are congested with these trails making it unbearable for time commitments creating more pollution. , it’s a nightmare . How are care workers going to arrive on time ,it was bad before . Life is hard enough enough without this .
reduce the burden and open up from camps hill roundabout to Lee high rd ,not many houses on that route as you know.
Not well thought out .
I live in Lee Green. Since these road closures the pollution level has escalated beyond what it was. Emergency vehicles are having problems getting through and people who live here don’t know where to go to make their journeys. I, for one have had enough of feeling like a mouse in a laboratory maze. Whoever was responsible for this nonsense obviously does not live here. Damn them all to hell for making our lives misery.
This ridiculous scheme is causing carnage on the main roads. Nose to tail traffic.Lee to Catford taking 1 and 1/2 hours? Just one example pollution in and around the main roads must be sky high. Who on earth is accountable for this ludicrous scheme.?They should be held to account. Utter madness it’s affecting my friends mental health and causing so much stress just from trying to get to work at the Council in Catford . Disgraceful
This scheme is antisocial. It is dividing communities creating ghettos. Anyone with disabilities or frailty of old age is being discriminated against. If you need carers, district nurses, GPs, chiropodists, physiotherapists, palliative care teams, Health visitors etc to visit. Good luck to them they will end up making fewer house calls per day costing the taxpayer more. If you can still able get out in your car, remainIng independent you are significantly affected by these changes and will soon decide you can no longer manage in the traffic and so requiring home visiting services earlier than you might have previously needed! Who is picking up the bill? Great for those who can cycle or have the time to walk everywhere but discriminatory for those who cannot.
Councillor Sophie McGeevor seems to the main person responsible for these measures. Makes sure you register here: https://www.freedomfordrivers.org/lewisham.htm to support the ABD campaign against the road closures if you have not already done so.
Drove down one of newly created ‘Bus Gate’ as I did not realise it after making numerous u turns due to all these roads been closed since I last drove that way before lockdown. I should have seen the inviting green sign instead of normal no entry to other vehicles which should have been there !!! Alas the council needs funds desperately so have paid the penalty. Stay safe and look out for new signage than what you are used to, don’t want an accident driving at 20 mph but not realising road priorities have changed.
Vote Sadiq Khan OUT at nest opportunity!!
He does not care how many shops go out of business as a result of his ”No Traffic”
policies. According to his offices……….
” Every Journey Matters ” except the journey YOU want to make.
Pollution is only a small part of his policy the rest is revenue making and control.
It’s Disgraceful.