30 May 2021
Why is the Dulwich Alliance recommending respondents vote in this way?
Southwark’s consultation isn’t designed to be fair and transparent. It doesn’t allow respondents to comment on the measures as a whole; it asks a series of overlapping and ill-defined questions, and is clearly designed to fragment the responses to allow the results to be manipulated. We think this is intentional, so in order to send a clear and unequivocal message to Southwark that this isn’t acceptable, we recommend voting ‘Return it to the original state’, for all the measures. We believe this is the only way that the community and the council can come together to co-design a socially and environmentally just scheme that works for everyone.
Does this mean the Dulwich Alliance just wants to go back to how things were?
No. We have made numerous proposals to Southwark as to how the individual measures could be adapted and improved, and how the overall scheme could be rethought, so that it can fairly achieve our shared goals of reducing traffic on all our roads, improving air quality and promoting active travel. Southwark have failed to include any of these proposals in the consultation, even though they said they would. It has become clear to us that they simply want to shut roads, and have become fixated with the idea of a ‘Dulwich Square’, leaving themselves with very little room for manoeuvre. It’s hard to see how a compromise can be reached at this stage, and so we think the only route forward is to emphatically vote down Southwark’s plans, in the only way allowed by their consultation, by voting ‘Return it to the original state’.
I heard there was an alternative solution with a camera at the Village junction; if I want that why don’t I vote for c)?
Unfortunately Southwark cannot be trusted to take your preferences into account, even if you add a comment. The Dulwich OHS2 consultation offered seven different ’solutions’ for the junction, most of which Southwark subsequently decided would not work; they will probably simply interpret ticking c) as a vote for a road closure by a means other than planters. Installing a camera at the Village junction would mean Southwark giving up on the ‘Dulwich Square’, and we know that they will do anything they can to avoid this. A vote for ‘Return it to the original state’ leaves them with no wriggle room.
Isn’t the Dulwich Alliance basically just a bunch of car drivers who don’t want to be inconvenienced?
We are residents, businesses, health and care professionals, community organisations and sports clubs. Some of us live within the LTNs, some outside, many of us are keen walkers and cyclists. We support school streets, safe cycling infrastructure (such as segregated lanes), better cycle storage and – crucially – improved public transport. We have no interest in prioritising car use. However, we recognise that there are many groups in our community – including the mobility impaired, the elderly, people with disabilities and those hard pressed with family responsibilities – who need to be able to get around by car. No feasible amount of ’traffic evaporation’ as a result of the current measures will spare the roads left open from suffering significant traffic increases, and these are also residential roads with schools that were already carrying high volumes of traffic; this traffic displacement is a deliberate design feature of Southwark’s scheme. And we don’t think forcing drivers to make long roundabout trips to get to their homes is a rational response to Southwark’s having declared a climate emergency.
What does the Dulwich Alliance actually want?
- Firstly, we want an end to the current scheme, which is unjust, unsafe and unfair.
- Secondly, we want Southwark to act like the humane, fair, rational and coherent council that they no doubt consider themselves to be. They need to define the concrete objectives of any future road scheme (the ‘Streets for people’ aims are so vague as to be meaningless): the main objective should be more than ’shift traffic on to other people’.
- Thirdly, we want coherent factual analysis before any scheme is put forward. A good starting point would be an examination of why the number of vehicles coming into the Dulwich area is so high, and what obstacles prevent drivers from choosing alternative modes of travel. The Council should monitor, pre- and post- implementation, traffic flows, congestion and air pollution, and this needs to cover the wider affected area. All the data should be published, in raw form, so that it can be properly scrutinised by the community.
- Southwark should do nothing without a proper Equalities Impact Assessment, done sincerely and taking into account the interests of all vulnerable groups and minorities, and with meaningful input from disability groups like Transport For All, health and social care professionals, organisations that help the elderly, and from clean air campaigners like Rosamund Kissi-Debrah. Southwark need to listen to the people who live here, and not just professional lobbyists and individuals who benefit most from the implemented measures – listening means far more than sitting through and then ignoring carefully stage-managed ‘Community Forums’ and manipulating the results of their ‘Consultation’.
- Other ways of encouraging people to drive less also need to be considered. There should be carrots as well as sticks. This isn’t just about restricting traffic which, as we’ve seen, is a very blunt weapon that isn’t very effective. It’s also about rewarding positive behaviour change.
I already responded to the consultation but I would like to change my response – what do I do?
Southwark says that if you want to change your view, fill in the form again, noting that this is your second response, and resubmit it. Southwark will then take your second response.
I would like to support the Dulwich Alliance – what can I do?
If you are an individual, please register support for One Dulwich by going to Support One Dulwich — One Dulwich. If you are an organisation, please consider joining dulwichalliance@gmail.com. If you wish to donate to support our efforts, please do so via uk.gofundme.com/f/help-end-road-closures-in-dulwich. Please also keep an eye on our website www.dulwichalliance.org for further news and updates.