Serious threat to Sydenham Road improvements

Post by **admin** » 23 Oct 2009 15:31

LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM
Media Release: 23 October 2009
Ref: PR776

Sydenham High Street Exhibition

Proposals to enhance Sydenham Road and Kirkdale are on exhibit at 59 Sydenham Road until Saturday 14 November.

The designs have been developed with backing from Transport for London (TfL) and aim to create a more pleasant environment for pedestrians and shoppers, without adversely affecting the flow of traffic.

If TfL agrees to fund the proposals it will result in a £3 million investment in Sydenham. Lewisham Council also intends to spend £300,000 on upgrading Sydenham Station Approach.

The exhibit at 59 Sydenham Road is situated at the corner of Sydenham Road and Queensthorpe Road (the former House of Curtains shop). The shop windows feature a section-by-section overview of the proposed scheme and there is an opportunity for members of the public to talk to the team and view a more detailed exhibition at the following dates and times:

Opening times from Monday 26 October – Saturday 14 November

Monday: 5pm-8pm
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 5pm-8pm
Thursday: 5pm-8pm
Friday: 5pm-8pm
Saturday: 11am-3pm
Sunday: Closed

Exhibition materials and further details can be seen at: www.lewisham.gov.uk/sydenhamhighstreet

The proposed scheme is due to be submitted to a future meeting of the Mayor and Cabinet for a decision as to whether to request funding for construction from TfL.

Likelife · Post by **Likelife** » 23 Oct 2009 16:35

All I know is that im in favor. It shows how most people are in favor here. I weren't told about the opposing until yesterday, that's odd how people don't tell people when they are opposed.

Post by **admin** » 23 Oct 2009 17:14

Please - no more spamlinks here. I have moved discussion on that to Asylum.
http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4019

Admin

Dekan · Post by **Dekan** » 23 Oct 2009 19:05

I am sorry but I think the previous posters are misguided.

As Sydenham resident, I think the plans to close Queensthorpe Road and narrow Sydenham road and the other so called improvements will just make acess more difficult for the Police,Emergency services and residents.

This so call improvement is just another excuse to bash the motorist by the politically correct labour supporters.

The "cafe society" is not coming to Sydenham anytime soon just get used to it

Chazza · Post by **Chazza** » 23 Oct 2009 19:32

Dekan wrote:This so call improvement is just another excuse to bash the motorist by the politically correct labour supporters.

Firstly, how is improving the high street "bashing the motorist"? I own a car and welcome the changes to improve traffic flow.

Secondly, since when was traffic planning an activity mired in political correctness? Do traffic planners only get jobs under Labour governments?

Dekan wrote:The "cafe society" is not coming to Sydenham anytime soon just get used to it

How does wanting to improve the quality of one's local area equate to a desire to increase the number of cafes? There are already numerous cafes in Sydenham despite its current shambles of a high street.

I'm growing really weary of hair shirts who think we should all make do with what we've got and can't face up to change and improvement.

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 23 Oct 2009 19:34

Dekan wrote:I am sorry but I think the previous posters are misguided.

As Sydenham resident, I think the plans to close Queensthorpe Road and narrow Sydenham road and the other so called improvements will just make acess more difficult for the Police,Emergency services and residents.

This so call improvement is just another excuse to bash the motorist by the politically correct labour supporters.

The "cafe society" is not coming to Sydenham anytime soon just get used to it

A wonderfully, completely, sensationally and incredibly misguided first post Dekan...

*facepalm*

[Is that tautology on my part?]

Trawlerman · Post by **Trawlerman** » 23 Oct 2009 20:42

'Bash the motorists'?...'Politically correct Labour supporters' ?..
''Cafe society'?

Sorry, don't get it.

Nothing against 'motorists'... But, London was never intended for the internal combustion engine.

[Note my original post on 'The School Run'] ... We must get used to less motors on our streets.

Traffic MUST be moderated for all our sakes.

Our High Street MUST be 'improved'.

What's so politically correct about that?

Anyway...what on earth is 'political correctness'?

People are very happy to condemn, it [& I have been known to] but we often don't always know what it really means!

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 24 Oct 2009 00:57

Dekan wrote:I am sorry but I think the previous posters are misguided.

As Sydenham resident, I think the plans to close Queensthorpe Road and narrow Sydenham road and the other so called improvements will just make acess more difficult for the Police,Emergency services and residents.

This so call improvement is just another excuse to bash the motorist by the politically correct labour supporters.

The "cafe society" is not coming to Sydenham anytime soon just get used to it

I'm not sure why you think we are misguided. Please see the exhibition!

'Pocket parks' are not new. They work and are widely used. The so called narrowing of the road wont make any difference to traffic flow. You will still get a large lorry and bike side by side. There is no issue.

I'm in favour (I also am a motorist, cyclist and pedestrian and I have seen the exhibition).

Likelife · Post by **Likelife** » 24 Oct 2009 16:33

I don't even support labour

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 25 Oct 2009 18:49

Dekan wrote:I am sorry but I think the previous posters are misguided.

As Sydenham resident, I think the plans to close Queensthorpe Road and narrow Sydenham road and the other so called improvements will just make acess more difficult for the Police,Emergency services and residents.

This so call improvement is just another excuse to bash the motorist by the politically correct labour supporters.

The "cafe society" is not coming to Sydenham anytime soon just get used to it

Might one deduce that the 'handle' or moniker 'Dekan' doffs one's cap to Anton Dekan? The Austrian writer of music, concientious objector and sometimes novellist?

And before anyone tries to belittle the deduction I had no need to reference or consult t'internet to find any perceived link...

Just wondering out loud...

Big Ben · Post by **Big Ben** » 26 Oct 2009 15:19

Alternatively, 'naked' spelt backwards? Naked cycling has become quite popular recently, I think.

nasaroc · Post by **nasaroc** » 28 Oct 2009 09:51

Not too late to sign the on-line petition - and look out for the paper petition in and around Sydenham Road.

What is wonderful is to hear from so many people who signed the previous petition but were fed distortions and downright misinformation about the scheme in order to induce them to sign. For example, I know of many local traders who were told "by a small bald man with a beard" carrying the petition: "You are going to lose all your parking places!"

Here is a typical response from someone who has recently signed the on-line petition:

"I previously signed the other petition, but having seen the plans properly I think the improvements are a great idea."

Don't let those who want to keep our high street in its present decrepit state win the day. Please sign the petition - and urge all your neighbours to do the same.

http://www.petitiononline.com/sydroad/petition.html

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 28 Oct 2009 10:06

I agree nasaroc.

Having spoken to some who intially signed up with this person they did describe the experience as tantamount to 'demanding signatures with menace'. Their words, not mine.

In fact some where asking if there was a way of retracting the previous signature from the laughably termed 'Save Sydenham' petition...even though they will 100% be signing the 'SydRoad' campaign now they know the truth.

Again, terms used are theirs, not mine. The first hand anecdotes about the tactics employed by this person are fairly enlightening though, I must say.

nasaroc · Post by **nasaroc** » 2 Nov 2009 18:13

Delighted to see that the petition supporting the new road scheme is now over the 500 mark. Please sign this if you haven't already done so - or watch out for the paper petition in the high street.

http://www.petitiononline.com/sydroad/petition.html

Here's a scheme for Oxford Street announced in the Evening Standard today that would make the opponents of our improved road scheme see red!

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... o-style.do

Hold on - it says that the Oxford Street scheme was unveiled by Boris Johnson. Isn't he the same bloke who runs TfL who are in charge of the Sydenham Road Improvement scheme? It's all a Tory plot!

angela53 · Post by **angela53** » 2 Nov 2009 21:11

My husband has just informed me that when he was in the DIY, just over the bridge, today a man in a wooly hat about 50 years of age, was complaining bitterly about the Sydenham Society and our support for the improvements to Sydenham Road.

"What about the poor pedestrians?" he was exclaiming.

Don`t know if he was drumming up support against the plans!!!

ALIB · Post by **ALIB** » 2 Nov 2009 21:18

the poor pedestrians/shoppers are the ones with most to gain from this scheme. Errr.... and also the motorists and traders.

As for the 'cafe society', it is already here Dekan.

Jasmine, Alambra, Sugahill, Blue Mountain, Hilltop, Semas, Kente....

digime2007 · Post by **digime2007** » 3 Nov 2009 08:55

Yep, we have places to drink coffee. Now we just need some decent places to shop! (Apologies to a couple of notable exceptions.) Put the two together and people might actually start using the high street and we can start to see some vibrancy creep in.

Annie · Post by **Annie** » 7 Nov 2009 21:27

I am not and never have been a labour supporter,I have lived in Sydenham for over 30 yrs, and I say bring in on! and hurry up about it.
I'm fed up of all the pontificating,just do it!

I'm annoyed at Lewisham for allowing the high street to get in such a mess, the manager should be removed and someone else with new ideas should be allowed to bring it back up to scratch.

poppy · Post by **poppy** » 8 Nov 2009 11:23

Hear! Hear!

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 9 Nov 2009 14:58

Annie wrote:
I'm annoyed at Lewisham for allowing the high street to get in such a mess, the manager should be removed and someone else with new ideas should be allowed to bring it back up to scratch.

I think referring to this person as a manager is unfair to all those in lower, middle and senior management. Clearly this person cannot and does not manage anything.

More aptly this person should be known, henceforth, as the 'town centre person*'

*You may wish to preface this reference with the word useless.

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