Agenda for Lewisham Cyclists Monthly Meeting
6.30pm Wednesday 19th September
Lewisham Civic Centre, Catford Road, SE6 4RU
All are welcome at the Lewisham Cyclists (LC) monthly meeting. These meetings are fairly informal and it’s a good opportunity to hear about the current local campaigns and influence their direction.
1) Apologies and Welcome.
2) Briefing from Josh Learner (Lewisham Borough (LBL) Cycling & Walking Programme Manager). N.B. Josh needs to leave at 7.15pm so we will need to make a prompt start and there may only be a limited opportunity for attendees to ask questions after the briefing.
2) Actions from Minutes of last monthly meeting – http://lewishamcyclists.co.uk/minutes/
3) Other issues & projects – additional to those covered in 2).
a. LBL Parks & Open Spaces consultation (closes 28th Oct) https://consultation.lewisham.gov.uk/environment/newparks/
b. Deptford Parks Liveable Neighbourhood Steering Group – nomination of LC Steering Group representative.
c. Lewisham Gateway junction – letter to Will Norman proposed by Brian Turpin (See Appendix A).
d. Details on LIP Outcomes 2016/17 & 2017/18.
e. Forest Hill £1.5m scheme criticisms. See https://twitter.com/roggys/status/1011296832713093126
f. Catford Green development. Despite the planning application showing on-street cycle parking none has yet been installed.
4) A.O.B. Will only be taken if there is time before the meeting closes at 8.15pm.
Tim Collingridge (Secretary)
Appendix A – Proposed Lewisham Gateway letter
Dear Will Norman CC Heidi Alexander; Damien Egan; Mark Ingleby; Josh Learner
Lewisham Gateway Junction – still a clear and present danger
We would like you to carry out an urgent review of the Lewisham Gateway junction to assess its safety, and include it on the Safer Junctions programme. This is with reference to the Mayor’s Vision Zero Action Programme (July 2018). Section 4.1 states…
“As we move forward, we will take a risk-based approach to identifying new junctions to add to the programme.
Locations on the Safer Junctions list will be monitored and reviewed each year, with additions to the programme being made if necessary, so that it always focuses on the highest risk junctions.
London boroughs are also encouraged to follow the same approach to tackling high-risk locations on their road networks through the use of Local Implementation Plan funding. We will provide analytical and technical design support for delivery of these schemes.”
We would very much like to support this review and have many alternative suggestions for improved designs based on the experiences of our members.
The recent Lewisham Commonplace evidences 277 comments/agreements about the lack of safe space for cyclists, and there are many other comments about the hostile environment for pedestrians. Typical comments include:
“The new roads here are disappointing for cyclists. There is so much space for proper, cycle superhighway-style segregated cycle paths here and they are very much needed.”
“Cycling infrastructure at the Lewisham gyratory is non-existent. When redesigning the new road layout and planning improvements, cyclists have not been taken into account; there are no cycle boxes at the lights on Rennell Street or cycle lanes on the entire road plan. Access to the shopping centre is not obvious … the pedestrian has clearly been considered as an afterthought. High pollution levels are obvious here. Lewisham High Street …has great potential to be a brilliant, clean, safe central hub for the community – …but this is totally brought down by the presence of dominating vehicles and lack of pedestrian infrastructure which I think inhibits people spending their time and money there.”
The Gateway scheme has been unfortunately singled out for criticism in Building Design. Short listed for the Carbuncle Cup including the redesign of one of London’s “most notoriously inhospitable” traffic gyratory system, replacing it with a scheme that is worse” said the editor. For cyclists, it is “absolutely terrifying” and “if you are in a car you haven’t got a clue where you are going. All around it are new towers. It could have been so much better…It seems to me that … they haven’t really regenerated anything at all.”
We would support a review with practical and constructive ideas and designs. These will include properly designed off-carriageway routes (there is no east-west link which was always promised) as well as segregated road space for people on bicycles avoiding left hooks, and improving the pedestrian experience.
Lewisham, and its people, deserve so much better.
Yours sincerely
Jane Davis. (Co-ordinator, Lewisham Cyclists)