New promise over Streatham Hill speed camera

Cllr Scott Ainslie and A23 campaigner Chris Holt

It has been revealed that a vital speed camera on Streatham Hill has been out of action for three and a half years - during which time there has been a significant number of serious accidents on this stretch of the A23.

In response to a Freedom of Informtion request by local Green Party member Chris Holt, it has been confirmed by the Metropolitan Police that the speed camera between Downton Avenue and Wyatt Park Road has not been operational since 15 March 2012.

Following pressure from Ms Holt - and other members of the Safer A23 in Streatham campaign - TFL, which is responsible for speed cameras on Red Routes, has promised the camera will now be replaced with a new, functioning digital camera by November 2015.


Data published by the Green Party in 2014 showed that nearly half of all vehicles on the A23 north of Streatham Hill station - the area covered by the out-of-action speed camera - were travelling at AVERAGE speeds that broke the speed limit.

And recent figures released by TfL revealed that there have been 6 deaths and 35 serious injuries on the A23 through Streatham in the five years 2010-2014. There have been more serious accidents - including at least two deaths - so far in 2015.

Mother-of-two Chris Holt, who is helping to run the Safer A23 in Streatham Campaign, said: "Our whole community is suffering from the high speeds of traffic on Streatham Hill and High Road. Crossing the road is a perilous activity - every time my children leave the house, part of me stays alert listening out for the wail of an ambulance siren."

Streatham Green Councillor Scott Ainslie said: "It's a tragedy that this speed camera has been out of action all this time. Instead of helping to reduce excessive speeds through this busy residential part of our community, it has been sending motorists the signal they can break the speed limit here with impunity.

"The lay-out of this stretch of the A23 - with six lanes separated by a central reservation - looks like a motorway, encouraging drivers to speed up in an area where they need to be slowing down. It's sending confusing signals, which is unfair to both motorists and pedestrians, contributing to accidents down the whole length of Streatham Hill and the High Road.

"The Green Party will continue to work in the community to keep up pressure on TfL, Lambeth Council and the Police to ensure Streatham becomes

a safer and more pleasant place for the people who live and work here."
 
The full response from the Metropolitan Police to Ms Holt's Freedom of Inforamtion request is:

"This camera last recorded footage on 15 March 2012.  Although the camera
has not been working for the last three years until the date of your
request, please be aware that this does not mean that the camera is still
out of action.  The camera equipment is due to be upgraded to digital as
part of the ongoing Safety Camera Replacement Programme before the end of
this calendar year."

Streatham Common Co-op to debate council's huge cuts to parks budget

The Streatham Common Co-operative / SCCoop will be debating the huge council cuts coming to parks budgets next year on Thursday 8th October.  

Residents are being invited to hear about the options from 2016 when SCCoop takes on Streatham Common, and highlight the services matter most.

The event will also be SCCoop's AGM and takes place from 7.30pm – 9.30pm at The Hideaway, 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, SW16 2BF

There will also be an update on how feedback from the last AGM was used.

Elections will take place on the night. If you are interested in standing for election to the Board, and application pack can be found here. You need to send your completed nomination form by Wednesday 30th September. here

You can book your free tickets for the AGM here

The proposed agenda is available here

A death or serious injury every six weeks on A23 in Streatham

Latest A23 collision, 9.15pm on Sept 3rd 2015

One person was killed or seriously injured in a collision on the A23 through Streatham every six weeks in the last five years.

A Green Party Freedom of Information Request to TfL has revealed that six people were killed and 35 received life-changing injuries between 2010 and 2014.

Twenty of these collisions involved pedestrians and five involved cyclists. Three of the people killed were pedestrians, two were car-drivers and one was a motorcyclist. All the crashes happened on the A23 between the South Circular and Streatham Common.

There have been at least two more fatal collisions on the road so far in 2015. And last night, emergency services were in action again as a taxi crashed into Xalwo shopfront next to Sports Direct.

"Streatham High Road and Streatham Hill feel like they are becoming the most deadly stretch of road in London," said Green Party councillor Scott Ainslie, who is campaigning to end the exceptionally high death and injury rate in Streatham.

"These latest figures show how urgent it is that TfL and Lambeth Council do everything in their power to make the A23 a safer road for local people. It is time to give our local high street back to the community."

The Green Party is helping to co-ordinate a cross-party "Safer A23 in Streatham" campaign. Local shops and businesses are being asked to display posters supporting the campaign and calling on TfL to include its Red Routes in Lambeth's proposed borough-wide 20mph speed limit.

TfL figures published in 2014 revealed that nearly half of traffic north of Streatham Hill station was breaking the speed limit.

"In places the A23 feels like a six-lane motorway," said Cllr Ainslie, "and this has a knock-on effect as cars speed up, thinking they are entering a fast, arterial road - rather than the busy community high street that Streatham High Road is for local people."

The campaign is calling for reclassification of the road as a high street, along with other measures such as traffic calming, segregated cycle lanes, removal of the central reservation and re-landscaping north of Streatham Hill station, and longer crossing times at pedestrian crossings.

In June it was revealed that plans to remove the central reservation from the remaining stretch of the the A23 between Streatham Hill station and the South Circular have been delayed by TfL until 2019.

Cllr Ainslie said: "Consultation for this should have commenced already and the delay is unacceptable. Children going to school and nursery, and older and disabled people are a large part of the community using the High Road - and until something is done to prioritise people's safety, we are all taking our lives in our hands every time we try to cross the road.

"We in the Green Party will do everything we can to create a safer, greener, cleaner Streatham High Road."

For more see:
July 2015 20mph speed limit gets go ahead
June 2015 five-year wait for next phase of Streatham road improvements
April 2015 serious collision Streatham High Road
December 2014 fatality near Streatham Hill
May 2014 Fatality at St Leonard's Junction
May 2014 Fatality st Streatham Hill
Feb 2014: Speeding on Streatham High Road
Feb 2014 Response from TfL about St Leonard's Junction
Dec 2013 Increased crossing times for Streatham High Road
April 2013 Another collision at St Leonard's junction
April 2013 Bus 'beached' at St Leonard's Junction
March 2013 - No dedicated cycle lanes or 20mph for High Road
Feb 2013 - We need more from Mayor on dangerous junctions
Feb 2013 - What could be done about the St Leonard's junction?
Jan 2013 - Safety review brought forward for St Leonard's junction
Dec 2012 - Another collision at St Leonard's junction
Nov 2012 - New signal strategy for St Leonard's junction
Nov 2012 - Review of St Leonard's junction announced
June 2012 - Crunching the collisions on Streatham High Road
June 2012 - What Streatham High Road could be like
May 2012 - Three collisions in Streatham
May 2012 - What could be done about Streatham High Road

Stabbing at Carphone Warehouse, Streatham High Road

At 16:20 yesterday (August 17), police were called to a report of a stabbed male outside the Carphone Warehouse store in Streatham High Road, SW16. 

On arrival, it became apparent there had been a fracas between two groups of males. Two males from the same group had suffered injuries. The first, a 20-year-old, was stabbed in his arm and buttock. The second male, also aged 20, was apparently struck over the head by a heavy object, believed to be a belt.

Officers established the stabbed male had been chased by a group and attacked with a knife. The knife was then dropped by the attacker, picked up by a friend of the stabbed male and used to threaten the attacking group, before being discarded in Woodbourne Avenue. The friend, a 22-year-old male, was arrested on suspicion of affray.

The attacking group had left the scene by the time police arrived. Officers searched Woodburne Avenue and discovered a firearm wrapped in a towel which, following CCTV enquiries, was attributed to the group containing the stabbed male.

As a result of the fracas, Section 60 (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994) search powers were invoked by Commander Richard Martin for the following wards: Streatham South, Streatham Wells, Streatham Hill, Tulse Hill, Coldharbour and Vassall. The powers expired at 02:00 today (August 18).

Both the stabbed male and the male who had suffered head injuries were taken to King's College Hospital for further treatment. Neither were deemed to have suffered life-changing or life-threatening injuries.

While at the hospital, the male with head injuries attempted to hide a knife in a bag belonging to his visiting mother. Both the male and his mother were arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article in a public place.

There was another stabbing a few doors away, a couple of years ago.   It will be interesting to hear if police think that more 'safe havens' such as those organised under the City Safe scheme in this part of the High Road, would help to address incidents like this.

At last the promise of 20mph borough speed limit

Streatham Green Party has welcomed Lambeth Council’s decision to put in place a borough-wide 20mph speed limit to reduce the high level of deaths and injuries on the roads.

“Nine years after Green councillors first proposed a 20mph limit it is great news that the council will finally take this long overdue step,” said Jonathan Bartley, one of the Green Party's spokespersons for Streatham.

“We know slower traffic speeds lead to fewer serious injuries and deaths – whilst improving traffic flow. Safer roads, with slower speeds, also encourage more people to travel on foot and by bike.

Jonathan continued: “There are many more measures Lambeth and Transport for London need to take to return our streets to our local communities. Red Routes will not yet be included in the borough-wide limit and speed limit enforcement is key, along with redesigning road layouts in some of the danger spots such as along the A23 in Streatham.”

Average speeds measured by TfL over a week on the A23 north of Streatham Hill station found around half of all vehicles were speeding.

Latest figures show that more people are dying in Lambeth from road traffic collisions than anywhere else in Inner London, making it London’s deadliest borough.  Lambeth also has the third highest figures for serious injuries.

On July 20th Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Environment & Sustainability Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite is expected to confirm a proposal to spend £700,000 from its annual Borough Local Implementation allocation from Transport for London to implement the scheme with street signs and road markings from April 2016. Traffic calming measures are only proposed if speed limits appear not to be observed and further funding becomes available.

In 2006 then Green Councillor for Herne Hill ward, Rebecca Thackray first raised the issue of traffic calming in 2006 and the party has continued to put pressure on Lambeth.

At the end of 2010 Lambeth Council said it aspired to have a 20mph borough-wide limit. It then appeared to change its mind in 2012 but after campaigning by the Green Party recommitted to it in 2013. The Labour Party amended a council motion in July 2014 tabled by the Green Party councillor Scott Ainslie, removing all references to a timetable for implementing a 20mph limit.

Green Party members are part of a new community campaign group dedicated to improving safety on Streatham High Road and Streatham Hill. The Safer A23 in Streatham campaign is calling for the 20mph speed limit to include the Red Route, plus urgent works to upgrade the road north of Streatham Hill station and reclassification of the road as a high street prioritising the needs of local people and businesses.

Five year wait for next stage of Streatham central reservation replacement

Discussing the second stage of central reservation improvement

It could be a five year wait until the third section of the central reservation is replaced on Streatham High Road, north of Streatham Hill.

The second stage of work, dealing with the section south of Streathan Hill down to the Kwik Fit garage, began in April 2013.  The final trees didn't go in until a few months ago.

A Green Party Freedom of information request to TfL has revealed that the work on the third stage is 'likely' to begin in Summer 2019.  

Based on the time the other two sections took to complete, it is unlikely it would be finished before 2020.  That is also assuming there are no delays.

The FOI response in full:

TfL Ref: FOI-0218-1516

Improvements are planned for many roads in Lambeth, some include kerb realignment. The major project in the 2015-2020 period is a regeneration scheme to improve the urban realm in Streatham Hill between Streatham Hill Station and Telford Avenue. The intention is to continue the improvements recently introduced to Streatham High Road south of the station. The cost of the scheme will be in the region of £3m. This work is likely to begin in the summer 2019 and details will be published on Transport for London website in Autumn 2018.

TfL's plans to improve Mitcham Lane/Ambleside Junction - What do you think?

Some good news!  Transport for London have finally come forward with specific plans for improving the safety at the Mitcham Lane/ Ambleside Avenue junction.

This is something we have been campaigning for, for several years, following a number of fatalities there, mainly involving cyclists, but also pedestrians.

We launched a petition in 2012, with a demo at the junction involving children from nearby St Leonard's Primary School.   We then had correspondence with TfL and a meeting, organised by Green Party London Assembly members. We were however told that there would need to be another fatality there, before action was taken.

We videoed buses jumping the lights and narrowly missing pedestrians on the crossing.  We also continued to record the frequent collisions.  Eventually TfL agreed to review the junction in 2013. They then came forward with some suggested improvements.  But sadly, there was another fatality in November 2014.

We collected more signatures, and delivered another paper version of the petition to TfL in January to reinforce the urgency, and the need for much more than they were offering.

A few days ago, TfL finally sent around a letter to local residents setting out their plans.  The letter is reproduced in full below.  But in summary this is what they are proposing:

• New trixi mirrors on the signal poles to increase visibility of cyclists
• New pedestrian countdown crossings
• Realigned and widened pedestrian crossings
• New tactile paving
• Modernised traffic signals to reduce pedestrian waiting times
• Modernised streetlighting
• New advanced stop lanes for cyclists
• Narrowed traffic lanes to slow down vehicles approaching the junction
• New textured and patterned imprinted high friction road surface on the junction itself to reduce vehicle speeds, improve stopping distances, and increase driver awareness of the crossing
• New combined red light and speed camera (but this is not in the right place)
• 1.5m cycle lanes on Mitcham Lane

A lot of this looks good.  But we have a number of reservations.  We are not convinced that the proposals will solve one of the major problems with the junction, and that is buses heading south on Mitcham Lane, and turning right into Ambleside Avenue who jump the lights,over the pedestrian crossing which is used by schoolchildren.

You can let TfL know what you think by emailing consultations (at) tfl.gov.uk   Do copy us in to your emails streathamgreenparty (at) gmail.com   You can also post comments on this blog below.

[Update 22/6/15 - TfL have read this blog and kindly sent through better quality Pdfs of their letter an design which we have put below]