Trial road closure on Estreham Road

A number of residents have been in touch about a trial road closure which is being proposed on Estreham Road, and in particular expressed their concern about the lack of council consultation.

The Council (along with TfL and Sustrans) is proposing a trial traffic filter (a block in the road to prevent vehicles travelling along it) for three months.

Residents are now being asked whether they want the trial to go ahead.  The text of the letter is below, and this will be sent to residents in the next 48 hours setting out the details.  Please do respond using the online consultation.   There will also be a drop-in session on Saturday 17th of October 1pm-3pm , followed by Thursday 22nd of October 4-7pm at Streatham Scouts, 39 Estreham road, where you can ask questions and make your views known in person.

Dear Resident, 

Sustrans, Transport for London and Lambeth council are proposing a temporary trial traffic filter in order to reduce the volume of traffic cutting through the area. This temporary trial is likely to last for three months starting in December 2015. 

Residents and locals are encouraged to fill out the enclosed survey or the online version so we can gain an understanding of your views.

During the trial Estreham Road would be closed to through-traffic near Streatham Common Station using a traffic filter (position is marked on the map), which would allow us to understand the effects of the change to traffic flow.

A traffic filter is usually in the form of bollards, trees or planters which prevent motor vehicles cutting through.

Residents would still be able to access their homes and local businesses by car.

The formal consultation period would start once the trial was in place. The official consultation will be available at: www.lambeth.gov.uk.

This work is part of creating the Quietway cycle route from Waterloo to Croydon. Estreham Road is already part of an existing cycle route though suffers from a high level of non-residential cut-through traffic. The reduction in motor traffic is expected to make the area more pleasant to live in and support more people to walk, cycle or play.

You can respond to the online consultation here


The following Frequently Asked Questions are also being sent to residents.

Q) What are Quietways?

Quietways are direct and easy to follow cycle routes in London on quiet roads, parks and waterways. They’ll make it easier for many local people who would like to try cycling, but would rather not cycle on main roads. Quietways provide an opportunity for communities to benefit from Transport for London (TfL) investment that can make local streets more attractive for everyone.

Q) Why Estreham?

Estreham road is a residential street and already part of an existing cycle route. Although it is not a perfect cycle route at the moment it is far more suitable for cycling than many of the surrounding streets. The proposed route alignment for the Quietway has been decided with feasibility studies from Transport for London and the borough. 

Q) How will a reduction in motor traffic improve the area?

Neighbourhoods are more likely to have better community links if there are low traffic levels. There are also many examples to show that reducing through motor traffic reduces crime and makes neighbourhoods more attractive to live in and pass through. 

Q) Will I still be able to drive to my home / place of interest during the proposed trial?

Yes, you would still be able to access everywhere on Estreham road by car, although you may have to take a slightly different route. Please see above map to see where the traffic filter would be and how this may change your route.

Q) Why a traffic filter rather than traffic calming measures?

Traffic filters have been proven to reduce the volume of through motor traffic while at the same time creating a nicer environment for people to live, travel, play and shop. Residents would benefit from cleaner air and safer streets. 

Q) Why have a temporary trial?

The temporary trial would give us an opportunity to understand the impact of the changes in the real world that no traffic modelling could tell us. In some cases these changes reduce overall traffic levels. We would carefully review all the data from the trial after three months in order to make a decision about the next steps. We need at least this much time to allow for changes to traffic and behaviour to take place. It would need to go through a formal consultation process for the filter to ever to be made permanent.

 Q) Will this mean heavier motor traffic on surrounding roads? 

People tend to use Estreham Road as a cut through to avoid using Greyhound Lane and Streatham High Road. Some of the traffic would stick to those A roads which are designed for heavier traffic. We would monitor traffic levels on the surrounding network to measure the impact during the three month trial. In other examples we see a permanent reduction in traffic as behaviour changes. This reduction in traffic is usually due to people either combining journeys or changing modes of transport all together.

Q) Will this mean loss of parking?

No loss in parking at all.

Q) What is the consultation process?  

We are communicating the details to local residents via posted letters, leaflets, on street posters, local door knocking, drop in sessions and mailing list email updates. Residents and non-residents are encouraged to fill out a pre consultation survey (link below and paper copy included) this is so we can fairly assess points of view on the trial. The formal consultation would begin with the trial and consist of formal consultation forms and events for residents. Traffic on the wider network would be monitored to assess any impact. 

Broken paving to be fixed on Mitcham Lane

There has been a large area of broken paving on Mitcham Lane, which has been cordoned off for several months.

The area is located opposite St Leonard's school and is a hazard for children, older and disabled people and well as causing an obstruction for other pedestrians.

A number of local people raised this via fixmystreet.com and others got in touch via email, to see if we could help get the repairs sorted out.

The council have how told us that delays in teh repairs were due to a "cheque being lost in the post". Contractors have been engaged and will visit to begin repairs on 3rd November.

Mapping air pollution in Streatham

You may have seen the coverage on BBC London news today about the Mapping for Change initiative, which monitors air pollution in local areas.

We have taken part in this initiative and mapped the air quality in the Streatham area.

Deaths related to pollution in Lambeth are over 100 a year according to Public Health England (over 10 times the number of road casualty deaths).

You can see the results of what we found here (use the map to zoom in on Streatham). 

They results quite a bit of time to load, but in summary we found that levels of N02 breached EU guidelines at several points, including the St Leonard's junction and the junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue.

Our campaign continues to clean up Streatham's air, including a 20mph limit along Streatham High Road, more local "greening", getting buses through Streatham retrofitted or replaced with new Hybrid's and getting the council to stop using diesel cars in its own vehicle fleet.

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.