We hear from Southwark Council that Cabinet Member Cllr Catherine Rose will receive a report making recommendations about the Dulwich road closures on 9 September. Cllr Rose’s decision will follow soon after that.
To be clear which criteria we will use to judge that decision, we sent an email to Cllr Rose on 3 September, attaching the statement below. We have also reproduced the statement as a leaflet, which will be distributed in the Dulwich area this weekend.
We have done our very best over the past eight months to explain why the current scheme is deeply flawed.
We hope that Cllr Rose will listen to the local community.
Meanwhile, we consider our next steps.
Statement from the Dulwich Alliance 3 September 2021
The Dulwich Alliance has been campaigning for months for a fair solution to traffic issues in the Dulwich area.
The current closures and restrictions discriminate against the most vulnerable, displace traffic on to residential roads used by thousands of children to walk and cycle to school, and have caused deep division in the local community.
There is no evidence that the measures decrease overall pollution in the context of a climate emergency. Instead, pollution has just decreased on some roads and increased on others.
In July, Southwark Council’s Leader, Cllr Kieron Williams, promised to:
- Provide clarity about data and methodology
- Consider the impacts for Dulwich as a whole, not just the roads where the restrictions are
- Prioritise the people most adversely affected, particularly those with mobility issues and those receiving care at home
- Work with TfL to improve public transport
- Compromise in order to get the balance right
But so far Southwark Council has:
- Published incomplete traffic data full of errors
- Denied that traffic and pollution have hugely increased on roads like Croxted Road, East Dulwich Grove and Lordship Lane
- Failed to meet its Public Sector Equality Duty by neglecting the needs of the most vulnerable
- Held a deeply flawed consultation
- Ignored the needs of high street and side street shops and local businesses, even though they’re vital to the community as a whole
A few tweaks aren’t enough – we need a major rethink.
Southwark Council has the chance to find a fair solution that brings the community together. We hope they take it. To be clear, as we consider our next steps, these are the criteria we will use to judge Southwark’s decision:
1. Have all hard 24/7 road closures been removed to stop both the huge displacement of traffic on to surrounding roads and the need for further restrictions?
2. Are any timed restrictions focused on making walking and cycling to and from school safer and easier, with hours and locations reduced to the minimum necessary (morning and afternoon, Monday to Friday, term time only)?
3. Are older residents, those with disabilities, and health professionals and carers exempt from any restrictions?
4. Are there practical solutions to alleviate congestion and pollution caused by any traffic measures on roads like Croxted Road, East Dulwich Grove and Lordship Lane?
5. Are there solutions to improve safety for pedestrians as well as cyclists?
6. Is there a renewed commitment from the Council to work with TfL and other transport providers (including train companies) to improve public transport in the Dulwich area, and to work on a community-based bus solution?
7. Does the decision address the needs of the shops and businesses that are vital to the life and economy of the local community?
It’s time for Cllr Catherine Rose to step up and do the right thing. We wait for her decision.