Road *!@!! works!

[BarnacleBelle]

Is there a conspiracy to bring Sydenham to a total grinding halt? What's going on? I live just past Kent House Road and as from next week every route from my house will involve major roadworks! If it's not the gas board, it's the water board or some other bleedin' board. Does Lewisham Council have a plan? If so, was it dreamed up by a box of beetles with inky feet and a drug habit?

[Trawlerman]

It has been going on for ages. There's even the occasional whiff of gas near Lidl's ...

Not a conspiracy...I hope... more an unfortunate convergence of circumstances.

[lbere]

I seen the notice at the start of the week, is the junction surrounding Kent House Road/Sydenham being closed off?

[MrsSJME]

I live on Kent House Road too and according to the signs there won't be any right turn from KHR into Sydenham Road, or any left turn into it from 5/10.....

Particularly liked the notice on the 356 bus stop which stated that it would be closed from 24/9 until COMPLETION......... absolutely no commitment to a date then.....

Also, why is it that the workmen seem to do bugger all for most of the week but on a Saturday morning at 8.30am it's a completely different story.....???!!!

[Ronski]

It is a joke I agree.

Anyone have any idea how long the high street 'make over' is going to take next year & if it will cause a similar amount of disruption?

[Willy]

I moved to Sydenham in May 2007 and as far as I can recall the only time without roadworks was about 3 days last Christmas.

[poppy]

Please, everyone, if you could moan to our councillors directly maybe they will realise how many of us really feel and it might give them a kick up the jacksy to do something meanful for a change....just email them, and I would include the mayor and our MP.

It has also been really difficult to cross Sydenham road safely, for I don't know how long, which, if you are elderly or have small kids, is a nightmare, and is literally driving people away from the high street I think.

I even heard one of two very well-dressed elderly women, who were trying to cross opposite the post office alongside me last week, at lights that were broken, call Sydenham 'a dump'. Which says it all really

And you are right, I hardly ever see anyone actually working on the holes, and sometimes there are areas of road cordoned off at the weekend with no work in evidence at all, so they could be reopened!!!

[simon]

Traders I have spoken to are absolutely seething as the disruption has slaughtered trade. I think our town centre manager Julie Sutch is supposed to be monitoring the work but the contractors really do appear do me making it up as they go along; digging up then filling in same spots; only to return a few weeks later. The point about the weekends is spot on; not only are the traffic controls left in place, but parking spaces are blocked off so the contractors can park thei plant there for the weekend. I think there is a number to call to complain so perhaps we can make some calls.

[panthercap]

I believe there was about 3 hours the week before last when the roadworks at bottom of Westwood Hill disappeared. As I was walking to the station I remember thinking to myself how nice it was not to have my ears, nose and feet assailed by noise, pollution and duckboards. By the time I'd got back in the evening Westwood Hill was like a war zone again. Why do they bother to fill the holes in and tarmac them, when they are just about to dig them up again. There must be a conspiracy to RUIN Sydenham.
I just read about the proposal to cut peak hour services from London Bridge. I can't believe it. The trains are already stuffed to capacity. I work near London Bridge - I don't want to go to Shoreditch.
B---y Hell!

[maestro]

A woman phoned in to Clive Bull's show on LBC last night, she drives from Wandsworth to Lewisham every day to get to work, via Sydenham Hill and Sydenham Road. She particularly phoned to complain about the chaos that has now gone on for months to get through Sydenham in the morning, and lamented that there was no website she could access to warn her of these delays, or suggest an alternative route. I'm only guessing, but is she not experiencing about 20% of the traffic that is generally headed in the other direction at that time of day? It certainly seems like that whenever I've had to drive East through Sydenham between 7:00 - 9:30am Mon-Fri.

[dodd]

Admin- Who do we call to lodge a complaint?

[sydenhampanther]

A SECOND set of these 3-way temporary traffic lights have been set up outside the Prince Alfred, getting from Lower Sydenham to Kirkdale will take a good half our or more now, this is ridiculous. It would have been bad enough if they did one at a time, but this is a serious issue now! The tailback from the new set of temporary traffic lights looks like it will go all the way down towards Sainsbury's now, blocking up Fairlawn Park and the primary school on the corner of it. Similarly to the other set of temporary traffic lights there is nowhere to safely cross the road again...

[chrisj1948]

Similarly to the other set of temporary traffic lights there is nowhere to safely cross the road again...

I actually find it easier to cross Sydenham Road now that the temporary traffic lights are in place, since there are now windows with one direction solid with waiting cars and nothing coming the other way. If you are in a car the lights are a nightmare, but on a motorbike not so bad

Regards
Chris

[Ronski]

Here's the official 'update' about the Roadworks...

http://www.sgn.co.uk/index.aspx?rightCo ... TSMenuID=6

[Tim Lund]

Thanks for that link, Ronski. I have just emailed to the SGN Corporate communications guy who we and local traders met - once - last December, and followed up by phoning him. Apparently he was soon taken off Sydenham Road ... in any case, I have asked him to ask whoever is now on the case - should such person actually exist - to get back not only to the Sydenham Society, but also the readers of this forum. Herewith my email:

Dear Mr. Cavanagh:

I note this from your web site:

UPDATE: 4 September 2009

We are currently in the process of replacing the two mains in Sydenham Road from Mayow Road to Kent House Road. Work remains on schedule.
The mains are being replaced by method of insertion, which means pushing the new pipe into the old main. This greatly reduces the amount of digging required, which in turn reduces disruption.

Access to homes will be maintained and businesses will remain open as usual.

We are having regular meetings with Lewisham Council and the Sydenham Society to find the most effective way of minimising overall disruption while carrying out this essential work.


I am aware of one meeting the Sydenham Society had with SGN last December, at which many promises were made of better performance, but following which there has been no delivery, or further meetings.

Could you explain why such a misleading statement was made on your web site, and also give as full as possible an account of what is going on? For more background, please refer to discussion on the Sydenham Town Forum.

[Southern Gas Networks]

The following is an update on our Sydenham Road project, as requested by Mr Lund:


This essential work involves replacing around four kilometres of ageing metal mains and sevices in Sydenham Road with new plastic pipe, which has a minimum lifespan of 80 years.

The mains are being replaced by method of insertion, which means pushing the new pipe into the old main. This greatly reduces the amount of digging required, which in turn reduces disruption.

UPDATE: 9 October 2009

Our work remains on schedule. We are currently in Phase 2 of the project - working between the junctions with Mayow Road and Kent House Road. There are temporary three-way traffic lights in operation at the junctions with Mayow Road and Kent House Road. There is no right turn out of Kent House Road into Sydenham Road for motorists; however, a signed diversion is in place via Kent House Lane. This phase will be completed within the next six weeks, although we will endeavour to finish sooner. Work will then begin on the project's final phase - between the junctions with Kent House Road and Bell Green. Access to homes will continue to be maintained and businesses will remain open as usual.

We are in regular dialogue with the local authorities and bus service operators to find the most effective way of minimising disruption to the local area while carrying out this essential work.

Correction: In the previous update (dated 4 September) we stated that we were having regular meetings with the Sydenham Society. This was a mistake; we have met with the Sydenham Society on one occasion - in December last year. The team manager will attend the Society's next meeting on 3 November.


Nick Hemsley
Corporate Communications
Southern Gas Networks

[simon]

Awful gridlock this afternoon again with traffic stuck at the Mayo road lights because traffic was stuck at the Kent House lights; perhaps these two sets of lights should be phased.
I would hope the Sydenham Society asks SGN about their practice of leaving plant parked up on the high street over the weekends. This reduces parking spaces for shoppers which effects traders and cannot be justified.
SGN makes a show about consulation but they appear to be doing exactly what they like with no consideration for the local community whatsoever.

[bensonby]

a couple of points:

Why do they insist on using the word "essential" every few lines?


Considering the roadworks are causing so many problems why aren't they being worked on for 12 hours a day minimum?

[Tim Lund]

The Sydenham Society meeting on 3 November is news to us, but since it's in SGN's diary, we look forward to meeting them, and will be asking local traders if they would like to come along too.

[Southern Gas Networks]

Contrary to what was previously stated, the meeting on 3 November is a Sydenham Traders Association meeting. This error has been rectified on our website.

Nick Hemsley