Hidden in the paperwork released on the evening of 17 September, with the report on the Dulwich Streetspace recommendations, are the results of the consultation. Two out of three people living and working in the Dulwich LTNs who responded to the survey rejected each one of the Dulwich Streetspace measures, opting instead for ‘return it to the original state’. The majority of local people (see our summary of results here) do not want the scheme. Despite this, the Council is pushing ahead, with just minor changes. Read our statement below (attached here if you want to circulate on social media).
A sham process: our initial response to the Dulwich Streetspace report, published on 17 September 2021
Southwark Council has carried out a flawed consultation on the Dulwich LTNs.
But the results of its survey (buried deep in the paperwork) show that 2 out of 3 of those who answered from all three Dulwich LTNs rejected the experimental measures and opted, in each case, for “return it to the original state”.
Two-thirds of those who responded rejected Southwark’s scheme.
Southwark’s response?
Push ahead with a (slightly modified) scheme, even though it still
- displaces traffic and air pollution on to residential streets with schools and health centres
- discriminates against those with protected characteristics, including older people, BAME people, and those with disabilities
- causes severe difficulties for local shops and businesses
By continuing with the 24/7 closure of the central junction in Dulwich Village – and all the 24/7 closures across Dulwich – Southwark is going against the idea of school streets, for which there is widespread support. Instead it is dividing the community and imposing disadvantage on the most vulnerable.
And it now demands our response with an unreasonable deadline. Southwark didn’t publish its raw data or methodology over the summer, so this is not the transparent process promised by the Leader of the Council, Cllr Kieron Williams. Instead it has given us just 10 days to read through hundreds of pages of text, tables and reports – including the key report on air quality, which seems to be modelling based on just one month of data from June 2021 – before it goes straight into the process for making the measures permanent.
The main justification for continuing with the scheme in Dulwich seems to be fear of losing central government funding for further LTNs in Southwark. Or is Southwark’s real priority the millions they’re making in fines?
This is an arrogant, unfeeling council that doesn’t listen to local people, doesn’t treat them with respect, and doesn’t care about the welfare of the most vulnerable members of our community.
We will submit our formal objections to the council by emailing streetspace@southwark.gov.uk by Monday 27 September. Please do the same, copying in decision-maker catherine.rose@southwark.gov.uk and your local councillors.
We demand better from those we elect to serve us.
The Dulwich Alliance
19 September 2021