Syd Society help request for pavement opposite library?

[Hissing Syd]

Beninahurry said:

Several people expressed concerns that bikes would be parked on pavements blocking safe pedestrian passage.

I just read the above statement in the Sydenham Society thread regarding the proposed Nandos development. I started replying there, but realised this was a separate topic.

Given the above statement, please could I implore the Sydenham Society to do anything it can to help with exactly this situation at the parade of shops opposite the library. By which I mean everything from the tyre shop and the excellent Barrakah through to the recently renovated ex paint shop.

It was a great boost for us to get the new pavements down there a few years back, but people can be really irresponsible - and now there is a constant stream of vans, cars, motorbikes etc all using the pavement as their own private parking space.

Consequently the paving stones that we were so delighted to receive are slowly being ruined, becoming loosened or broken, and covered in filthy tyre tracks and oil from refuse.

In addition, it makes it really hazardous for pedestrians, both in terms of risking collision with reversing cars or motorbikes, and sometimes facing considerable aggression from the drivers of these vehicles, for daring to be in their path. On the pavement.

Could bollards be put in? Or anything, really. It's hard to see that stretch being destroyed and not think: this is why we cannot have nice things.

Any advice or positive action the Sydenham Society could offer would be very much appreciated, as is the work it already does.

[Ghlpc]

Yes, always notice this problem on that stretch of road, especially as it gets darker. It doesn't look attractive and gives the impression of a bit of 'anything goes'..

The surrounding roads are always busy and difficult to park on close to the shops, but if you go further down them you can always find a space, if picking up a takeaway or visiting one of the shops.

Unfortunately people are just lazy and can't be bothered to walk as far.

Bollards would help with cars and vans, but depending on the style wouldn't stop bikes.

I used to live on larkbere road. Lovely little house but the corner of the road, with the tyre shop, was a dangerous junction with vehicles squeezed right up to the end on both sides, most hours of the day.

It was a big reason why we moved.

[Nigel]

Hissing Syd
Fully agree - there seems to be some wierd objections to bollards but if people can't be civil and ( it seems ) nobody interesting in enforcing it - we need physical barriers to parking on the pavement . My fear is that it's rapidly coming to be seen as normal - i.e. As you go up the evolutionary scale , the next layer sees it and thinks " if they do it must be ok " .
Lots of areas use anti-car bollards . Let's hope we don't have to wait until a buflggy gets pushed into the road or some gets beaten up for daring to challenge those idiots that park , or rode a bike , (or in Sydenham's case, a motor bike ) on the pavements .

A very good evening
Nigel

[Beninahurry]

Evening all
Funnily enough I believe a member of the Sydenham Society was out on the streets today checking on this very issue ahead of a town meeting which I think is on Tuesday. Pedestrian safety is an important issue. Will let you know more once I do.
Ben

[Larky]

Oh yes please, but dont hold your breath !
I have been onto the council and the police about the tyre shop! Routinely change tyres on the double yellow lines on the corner of the road, on both sides of the road! They have a bay use that, then block the pavement with another car half in and out of the bay.
The road narrows at this point, you have to end up reversing back on to Sydenham High Street (illegal I know) to get the traffic moving. They shout at you and even have the cheek to tell you that you should enter your own road from the top end so not to interfere with them changing tyres.

Fair play to them as they have a great business that must make them a small fortune, but this is not the location for a business of this type

[Larky]

All the shops/customers on this stretch seem to think that they have a right to park on the pavement.

[Nigel]

Would it really be so expensive to install bollards on the pavement areas that regularly get parked on ? Surely longer term it will save expensive repairs and avoid accidents and intimidation of people who challenge those that do it ?
I would suggest the following areas :
The parade opposite the library
Sydenham road from Kent house to The Lemon Tree restaurant
Outside Blue Mountain
Surrounding area of the Greyhound site
The flats opposite Laurie Park Rd by Cobbs Corner

The barriers could be bicycle stands ,god forbid large planters with shrubs , trees and seats as well as bollards .

With the benefit of hindsight we should never have expected people to restrict their driving to the roads but we definitely need to avoid the revolting spectacle of cars on pavements I think .

A very good evening
Nigel

[Ghlpc]

Yes Nigel trees....the high street needs more trees!

Forget lordship lanes shops, the fact it has so many trees lining the pavements makes it aesthetically pleasing and improves its appearance.

Our high street is barren of greenery, more trees would contribute to both the above points and stop the cars mounting the pavements...

[Kent House R]

Agreed. That corner on Kent house is used for badly parked cars and loads of rubbish bags. Greenery in the area would improve the appearance immensely.

[Hissing Syd]

Thanks for the swift response, Ben, and thanks for the replies - very glad there is some support for this. Coming back the other night, I noticed that directly opposite this stretch, the library has bollards outside, presumably for the same reason. I'm all for a bit of symmetry...

The garage is a tricky issue - pretty much everyone I know on Larkbere is maddened by it, but as mentioned above, it's a great business for somebody and obviously everyone has a living to make. Yet they are a law unto themselves (again, as pointed out in better detail above), and the end of Larkbere where they work is regularly used as a fly-tipping point, with staggering piles of junk and waste left on the pavement. The knock-on effect is significant for people that live here.

Thanks for listening regarding this, and will wait to hear in due course if anything can be done.

[Hissing Syd]

Hi Ben,

Just wondered if there was any news on this front? Or, in light of the recent Fix My Street thread, whether help should be being sought there instead/as well?

The paving stones outside the chicken shop with the Disney font logo are now badly damaged and loose. The pavement outside Barrakah is being used as an extension of the tyre shop, with tyres stacked up 5 or 6 high taking up space. The corrugated roof of the tyre shop is permanently covered in litter, as is the now broken and filthy "Larkbere Road" street sign, which routinely serves as a drink stand, having Lucozade bottles and the like shoved into it. Opposite the shop continues to function as a dumping ground for pretty much anything, including a non council bin which is sat there right now, overflowing with rubbish.

In addition to the usual ranks of people who clog up this end of the road for takeaways and tyres, when I was returning with my goddaughter last Saturday, we passed a guy standing on this same corner, defiantly emptying his bladder all over the pavement, and glaring at us as he did so. My goddaughter is ten.

My point being, as the poster above said: all these things contribute to an "anything goes" environment, as the gentlemen who peed all over the end of this road would no doubt agree.

Any advice as to what to try and do about this would be welcomed.

[leenewham]

Agreed. That corner on Kent house is used for badly parked cars and loads of rubbish bags. Greenery in the area would improve the appearance immensely.

This was supposed to have been designed out, so cars couldn't park on the pavement. Parking in Lower Sydenham doesn't seem to be enforced, which is why cars park on the pavements, which are now stained and dirty. The rubbish situation hasn't been resolved either.

Lower Sydenham could be a good source of revenue in parking fines if it was enforced.

[syd-gal]

It's a pity the pavement at the traffic lights with Kent House Rd was widened so much, as now it encourages rubbish dumping. Would have been better if trees were planted there.

[leenewham]

I get the impression Lewisham don't like trees on pavements (you have to clear them up). Go a little way into Bromley and it's chock full of trees. They are everywhere.

Ask Lewisham and you will get lots of excuses like 'underground works' etc. But Lewisham are good at giving you reasons why something can't be done and everyone else seems able to do it when it's wanted.

Perhaps it's because to them it's not an issue. They don't have to do it. It's not popular, it doesn't win votes. If it was an issue, perhaps something might change.

Might Alan Hall be the green mayor of Lewisham?

[Larky]

Yesterday to tyre shop where changing tyres on the double yellow lines directly on the corner of the road, with the car jack pointing into the road and a man changing a tyre laying in the road !

Cars having tyres changed on both sides of the road on yellow lines.

[Hissing Syd]

Hi Ben,

Given your post above back from back in July, I just wondered if anything had ever come of this, or if you or anyone else had advice on what might be done to help?

Any thoughts gratefully received, thanks.

[Larky]

Just came on here to chase this as well. Its a nightmare. They park the van so close to the junction on the yellow lines, that you cant see into or out off the road until you are on top of the junction so if a car is pulling in or out you are on top of them.

The parking wardens etc seems to take no notice of this at all.

Vehicles are having tyres changed on double yellow lines, how are they getting away with this?

[Hissing Syd]

Asking again on this issue, Ben, is there any news? Any advice?

Yesterday private cars were yet again parked all along this stretch back to back, leaving almost no room for pedestrians. I see various broken paving stones have now been sprayed, and so presumably are set to be replaced, but unless steps are taken this will be money down the drain; they'll just be broken all over again.

The woes at the end of the street also continue. Any help on these concerns would be appreciated, thank you.

[Nigel]

Just to second HissingSyd's request .
Ideally a barrage of trees to stop pavement parking but a combination of bollards and trees is now essential .
We seem to have reached a tipping point where ordinary people see ignorant thugs parking on the pavements , see them get away with and start to have a little dabble themselves .
Lee put very well - lower sydenham presents a great opportunity to harvest money from people wealthy enough to buy a car ( some very nice German cars I notice ) but too lacking in respect for others to park and walk 2 minutes .

A very good evening
Nigel

[Beninahurry]

Hi
Apologies for the delay in replying. Certainly sounds like cars parked on the pavement are causing damage. Sydenham Society will escalate this with our council and get back with next steps.
Ben