Brixton Liveable Neighbourhood and LTN schemes - improvements for pedestrians and cyclists

[editor]

Some pointless destruction

Heartless wreckers destroy community attempt to beautify fly-tipping black spot in Brixton

A joyful attempt to brighten up a street corner in Brixton often blighted by fly-tipping was trashed within an hour of completion by cruel vandals. Locals were sick of rubbish being dumped on the c…

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[Collateral Dama]

The video description -


It's a bit strange to say the scheme is not working at the same time as attributing the problems to the filters that have been vandalised. They could demand that Lambeth sort out the vandalised filters, rather than that Lambeth remove the LTN. You might be tempted to think they wouldn't like the LTN regardless of what's happening on their street.

On an earlier video they say



So they obviously sign up to the thinking that congestion and pollution can be solved by increasing the capacity of the road network. They go along with the idea that traffic will "spread out" rather than just filling up whatever capacity is given to it.

What they are observing from their window is traffic filling up capacity that is provided to it. In this particular case, capacity which has been provided by those who have vandalised the filters.

I'm not quite sure why Lambeth can't get on top of the issue of signs etc being vandalised. You'd think it would not be so complicated to set up CCTV in these locations funded by what they are receiving in fines from the ANPR locations.

In this particular case, Lambeth has removed all the surrounding ”capacity” and left Ferndale Road as the only place for motorised vehicles to go. In other words they’ve shifted the rat runs that existed in the area on to Ferndale Road, which is also the Lambeth Healthy Route and the road that nearly all the pedestrians and cyclists use to get from Brixton to Clapham. We have worked with the council to put in a filter on Ferndale Road. They sited it poorly and aren’t very interested in maintaining it following vandalism. They have just told us that HGVs will be able to pass through it too in order to protect other roads that used to be rat runs. Ferndale Road west used to be a quiet road. The LTN has ruined it. If it could be returned to its condition pre LTN nearly all residents would accept it. We’re not coming at it from a motoring point of view, other than the motors that the LTN has put on our road at all hours.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Erm, Ferndale Road is at the centre (if not the heart) of the Ferndale LTN.

 

[teuchter]

In this particular case, Lambeth has removed all the surrounding ”capacity” and left Ferndale Road as the only place for motorised vehicles to go. In other words they’ve shifted the rat runs that existed in the area on to Ferndale Road, which is also the Lambeth Healthy Route and the road that nearly all the pedestrians and cyclists use to get from Brixton to Clapham. We have worked with the council to put in a filter on Ferndale Road. They sited it poorly and aren’t very interested in maintaining it following vandalism. They have just told us that HGVs will be able to pass through it too in order to protect other roads that used to be rat runs. Ferndale Road west used to be a quiet road. The LTN has ruined it. If it could be returned to its condition pre LTN nearly all residents would accept it. We’re not coming at it from a motoring point of view, other than the motors that the LTN has put on our road at all hours.

If the filter were effective then would things be ok on the street? Would it be fair to say that the majority of the cars in the video have driven through or are going to drive through the filter location?

 

[Collateral Dama]

If the filter were effective then would things be ok on the street? Would it be fair to say that the majority of the cars in the video have driven through or are going to drive through the filter location?

The LTN has cut the ward into large sections. The Ferndale Road West section extends from Bedford Road to the railway bridge and encompasses side streets, a couple of estates and that very long stretch of Ferndale Road, which is densely populated. Ferndale Road is the only way in or out. Lots of Ubers etc service the pub (Duke of Edinburgh). Ubers have started transiting Ferndale to pick up Sandmere and other residents on the other side of filters. The council has signed off on letting the biggest HGVs go through the filter — lorries that didn’t use Ferndale before the LTN. So it seems unlikely that an operational filter will solve the problem. They’ve created a very large cul-de-sac with lots of residents’ cars, deliveries etc, all now forced to use the so-called healthy route.

 

[Winot]

The LTN has cut the ward into large sections. The Ferndale Road West section extends from Bedford Road to the railway bridge and encompasses side streets, a couple of estates and that very long stretch of Ferndale Road, which is densely populated. Ferndale Road is the only way in or out. Lots of Ubers etc service the pub (Duke of Edinburgh). Ubers have started transiting Ferndale to pick up Sandmere and other residents on the other side of filters. The council has signed off on letting the biggest HGVs go through the filter — lorries that didn’t use Ferndale before the LTN. So it seems unlikely that an operational filter will solve the problem. They’ve created a very large cul-de-sac with lots of residents’ cars, deliveries etc, all now forced to use the so-called healthy route.

Allowing HGVs down there sounds like a terrible decision. I can’t see why it’s necessary either - there are other ways to get from the A3 to the A23 eg via the south circular.

Ferndale Rd should be in the LTN and Lambeth needs to properly enforce it. The answer isn’t to remove the rest of the LTN.

 

[Winot]

Lots of Ubers etc service the pub (Duke of Edinburgh).

And frankly drinkers at the DoE can walk 10 mins to Brixton Rd and pick up a cab there.

 

[paolo]

38 Ton articulated trucks going down Ferndale? Really? Does anyone have link for that info?

 

[Winot]

38 Ton articulated trucks going down Ferndale? Really? Does anyone have link for that info?

If they are going down it then it’s either new or they were going down before, because I cycle down Sandmere regularly and have never seen HGVs on there. So yes, I’m sceptical.

 

[paolo]

The LTN has cut the ward into large sections. The Ferndale Road West section extends from Bedford Road to the railway bridge and encompasses side streets, a couple of estates and that very long stretch of Ferndale Road, which is densely populated. Ferndale Road is the only way in or out. Lots of Ubers etc service the pub (Duke of Edinburgh). Ubers have started transiting Ferndale to pick up Sandmere and other residents on the other side of filters. The council has signed off on letting the biggest HGVs go through the filter — lorries that didn’t use Ferndale before the LTN. So it seems unlikely that an operational filter will solve the problem. They’ve created a very large cul-de-sac with lots of residents’ cars, deliveries etc, all now forced to use the so-called healthy route.

Can you share the communication from Lambeth regarding the HGV use of Ferndale?

 

[edcraw]

The council has signed off on letting the biggest HGVs go through the filter — lorries that didn’t use Ferndale before the LTN.

Really not sure that's true - the signs (when they're not vandalised) are the same as elsewhere and are no motor vehicles so definitely include HGVs.

Really encourage people with concerns to contact their councilors as they are genuinely listening.

Your Councillors - Ferndale Labour Party

News from your Ferndale Labour Councillors and Activists

www.ferndale-labour.org.uk

 

[teuchter]

Under "changes already made to date" here it mentions "Junction of Bellefield's Road with Pulross Road layout changes to allow larger goods vehicles to turn into Bellefield's Road from Pulross Road and exit the LTN area via the quickest route possible"

Under "upcoming changes" here it mentions various options for filters on Ferndale Road but doesn't say anything about HGV exemptions (how would that be administrated anyway)?

 

[teuchter]

The LTN has cut the ward into large sections. The Ferndale Road West section extends from Bedford Road to the railway bridge and encompasses side streets, a couple of estates and that very long stretch of Ferndale Road, which is densely populated. Ferndale Road is the only way in or out. Lots of Ubers etc service the pub (Duke of Edinburgh). Ubers have started transiting Ferndale to pick up Sandmere and other residents on the other side of filters. The council has signed off on letting the biggest HGVs go through the filter — lorries that didn’t use Ferndale before the LTN. So it seems unlikely that an operational filter will solve the problem. They’ve created a very large cul-de-sac with lots of residents’ cars, deliveries etc, all now forced to use the so-called healthy route.

You seem to be saying that if there was an operational filter, there would still be excessive traffic generated purely by vehicles entering/exiting what are shown as "green" streets in this diagram



Have I understood you correctly?

 

[BusLanes]

Having walked past some of the Ferndale LTN signs/equipment, they do look like they've been in the wars far more than Tulse Hill. Or even Railton

 

[Collateral Dama]

Th

View attachment 269967

Allowing HGVs down there sounds like a terrible decision. I can’t see why it’s necessary either - there are other ways to get from the A3 to the A23 eg via the south circular.

Ferndale Rd should be in the LTN and Lambeth needs to properly enforce it. The answer isn’t to remove the rest of the LT

You seem to be saying that if there was an operational filter, there would still be excessive traffic generated purely by vehicles entering/exiting what are shown as "green" streets in this diagram

View attachment 269993

Have I understood you correctly?

Essentially yes, but you need to extend the green line going east towards Brixton so that it includes the Edmundsbury estate. The only way in or out of that area is Ferndale Road west. In addition, taxis have started using Tintern Road by one of the Sandmere Road filters as a place to pick up fares.

 

[Collateral Dama]

Th

Essentially yes, but you need to extend the green line going east towards Brixton so that it includes the Edmundsbury estate. The only way in or out of that area is Ferndale Road west. In addition, taxis have started using Tintern Road by one of the Sandmere Road filters as a place to pick up fares.

 

[Collateral Dama]

Can you share the communication from Lambeth regarding the HGV use of Ferndale?

This is from an email from someone in the Lambeth planning department:

“Goods vehicles using Ferndale Road

The junction into Bellefield’s Road has been tweaked and additional double yellow lines introduced on the north side to enable larger vehicles to make the turn into Bellefield’s Road. Engagement with businesses is ongoing to ensure they do not use Ferndale Road and use this alternative. In some exceptional circumstances, where the largest goods vehicles cannot make the turn into Bellefield’s Road they will be permitted, on a temporary basis, to use the Ferndale Road modal filter. There was a 141% increase in light goods vehicles on Ferndale Road west during the stage 1 monitoring versus a 31% decrease in HGVs so the Bellefield’s route will be used by the vast majority of goods vehicles”.

A few years ago we started getting one or two M&S articulated lorries a day and we weren‘t very happy about it. It or they only went west from Brixton to Bedford Road. They now also go from Bedford Road east to Brixton and have been joined by the Superdrug lorries. Many other lorries both small and large are joining them. Other than M&S, the other lorries used Pulross Road to get out. It’s now one way. We’re disputing the figures given in this quote. We know that more HGVs are using the road. How can you not notice them? And why should the number of HGVs decreased when every other type of vehicle has increased, as we’re the now the main route through? Lambeth’s data is based on two week-long snapshots taken last year and a few years ago and it doesn’t entirely reflect reality. We’ve asked how temporary this exemption is and what will change to make it no longer necessary. We’re waiting for an answer. I can’t imagine what they’ll do. And at the moment no one is paying any attention to it anyway. As for the workability of allowing just some HGVs to go through the filter, I agree that it’s not really and we’ve asked for a list of who is going to be exempt. As far as I know no HGVs ever used Sandmere. That was a rat run for regular cars. We now get the lorries from Pulross and the cars from Sandmere.

 

[Collateral Dama]

Really not sure that's true - the signs (when they're not vandalised) are the same as elsewhere and are no motor vehicles so definitely include HGVs.

Really encourage people with concerns to contact their councilors as they are genuinely listening.

Your Councillors - Ferndale Labour Party

News from your Ferndale Labour Councillors and Activists

www.ferndale-labour.org.uk

We haven’t heard a peep from our local councillors. They might be listening but they’re not talking to us. A couple of weeks ago one of my neighbours spoke to Irfan, who was accompanying Florence Eshalomi for some canvassing, and he said to write to him directly. I’ll ask my neighbour if he got a response. The photo below is from the weekend. We’re getting lots of vehicles this size now. I don’t know if this will be covered by the exemption.

 

[Winot]

It sounds like HGVs are interpreting what was intended to be a narrow exemption to take the piss and use it as a cut through. That should be fairly easy to deal with I would’ve thought by fining every vehicle that goes through.

There’s certainly no need to use it as an excuse to get rid of the LTN generally.

 

[paolo]

I can understand that articulated lorries using Ferndale through to Bedford would be an issue for residents. As well as disturbance, the road - single lane - seems entirely unsuitable for that size of vehicle.

But this doesn’t seem to be caused by the LTN - Collateral Dama you mention this happening a few years ago.

Assuming it’s legally possible, I would have thought the answer is to have total restriction, and so M&S et al have to deliver using vehicles suitable for the access to these specific stores, I.e. can make the turn into Bellefields.

Maybe that’s something to push for?

 

[teuchter]

That should be fairly easy to deal with I would’ve thought by fining every vehicle that goes through.

Less easy if people keep vandalising the signs/cameras though, of course.

Seems to me that residents of Frerndale Rd could hassle their councillors to deal properly with the ongoing sabotage of the various filters, as an alternative to calling for the LTN to be abandoned.

 

[Collateral Dama]

I can understand that articulated lorries using Ferndale through to Bedford would be an issue for residents. As well as disturbance, the road - single lane - seems entirely unsuitable for that size of vehicle.

But this doesn’t seem to be caused by the LTN - Collateral Dama you mention this happening a few years ago.

Assuming it’s legally possible, I would have thought the answer is to have total restriction, and so M&S et al have to deliver using vehicles suitable for the access to these specific stores, I.e. can make the turn into Bellefields.

Maybe that’s something to push for?

Your suggestion about smaller lorries is interesting and I’ll suggest it to the Lambeth planners and hope they take it up and that it’s something that the shops will consider. I must say it seems unlikely though, as much as I would like a total restriction. The M&S articulated lorry started using Ferndale Road a few years ago. One or two lorries a day would go west from Brixton to Bedford Road. That was it for articulated and even big lorries. Now the M&S lorries and the Superdrug lorries are going in both directions daily and they’re joined by other lorries of various sizes. That is entirely to do with the LTN. M&S and Superdrug no longer have their means of access and egress at the Brixton end of the road and the other lorries are using it as a cut through. I don’t know where the other lorries came from or what streets they used before — possibly Pulross - but they didn’t use Ferndale Road prior to the LTN. We simply want the council to return the road to its state pre LTN. I don’t think any of the councillors would have put up on their own streets with what’s happened to Ferndale Road.

 

[Collateral Dama]

Less easy if people keep vandalising the signs/cameras though, of course.

Seems to me that residents of Frerndale Rd could hassle their councillors to deal properly with the ongoing sabotage of the various filters, as an alternative to calling for the LTN to be abandoned.

Believe me, we’re hassling our MP, the Lambeth planners and Claire Holland. Our MP and the planners will get back to us. Claire does very occasionally. We’ve given up on our local councillors. (I checked with my neighbour and Irfan didn’t reply following the canvassing visit). The council’s approach to enforcement has been desultory. They did put some spikes around one of the camera poles but it doesn’t stop the camera being sabotaged again within a matter of hours. They didn’t even bother to put spikes on the pole for the camera covering the new filter on Ferndale Road. Although that camera and those signs did manage to survive overnight. The cameras are repaired and the signs replaced every few weeks or months. They’re supposed to be developing a plan to deal with the sabotage but there’s been no evidence of it yet and the LTN has been in place for nearly a year. As I said earlier, the majority of people on Ferndale Road would accept the LTN if the traffic levels were returned to pre LTN levels. Our road has been ruined and we’ve been made to bear the brunt of this LTN. They took the Lambeth healthy route — the route the pedestrians and cyclists use — and made it the car and lorry route. If you’ve seen any of the videos of Ferndale Road you’ll see it’s used by a lot of cyclists and pedestrians, unlike neighbouring streets. You’ll also frequently see people driving their motorbikes on the pavements to get around traffic jams. For what it’s worth, Lambeth does seem to be mindful that Ferndale Road is a Lambeth healthy route. That means that we should not have more than 200 motor vehicles per hour at peak. That’s a lot more than we had pre LTN (so thanks for that), and at present we’re not even meeting the healthy route standard. And now there’s this exemption for more HGVs.

 

[Jesterburger]

I've emailed my councillors, MP & assembly member to ask them to ask the police why they aren't doing anything about the constant vandalism which is wrecking some of the schemes. I know not everyone likes them but there will be a consultation which is the democratic way to deal with this. By allowing the vandals to get away with it, the police are allowing a small group of antis to bully their way to victory and that's not OK.

 

[edcraw]

Video of someone sabotaging the cameras in Streatham Hill. I believe the council and the police have been informed.

 

[teuchter]

Believe me, we’re hassling our MP, the Lambeth planners and Claire Holland. Our MP and the planners will get back to us. Claire does very occasionally. We’ve given up on our local councillors. (I checked with my neighbour and Irfan didn’t reply following the canvassing visit). The council’s approach to enforcement has been desultory. They did put some spikes around one of the camera poles but it doesn’t stop the camera being sabotaged again within a matter of hours. They didn’t even bother to put spikes on the pole for the camera covering the new filter on Ferndale Road. Although that camera and those signs did manage to survive overnight. The cameras are repaired and the signs replaced every few weeks or months. They’re supposed to be developing a plan to deal with the sabotage but there’s been no evidence of it yet and the LTN has been in place for nearly a year. As I said earlier, the majority of people on Ferndale Road would accept the LTN if the traffic levels were returned to pre LTN levels. Our road has been ruined and we’ve been made to bear the brunt of this LTN. They took the Lambeth healthy route — the route the pedestrians and cyclists use — and made it the car and lorry route. If you’ve seen any of the videos of Ferndale Road you’ll see it’s used by a lot of cyclists and pedestrians, unlike neighbouring streets. You’ll also frequently see people driving their motorbikes on the pavements to get around traffic jams. For what it’s worth, Lambeth does seem to be mindful that Ferndale Road is a Lambeth healthy route. That means that we should not have more than 200 motor vehicles per hour at peak. That’s a lot more than we had pre LTN (so thanks for that), and at present we’re not even meeting the healthy route standard. And now there’s this exemption for more HGVs.

Fair enough, it seems a legitimate problem and you have my sympathy if you are unambiguously not in favour of the scheme being sabotaged.

The thing is, when videos are posted on youtube accompanied by comments demanding that the LTN is ripped out in response to problems largely caused by sabotage of the filters, they don't get much sympathy from me because I start to wonder if they are posted by someone who doesn't want the LTNs anyway, and who is maybe quite happy for the sabotage to go on so that they can post videos of traffic chaos on their street.

If the videos were posted alongside comments complaining about Lambeth and the police failing to enforce the filters and demanding something's done about that, then they'd get a completely different response from me (and presumably others). I'd then be likely to share them, maybe even email an MP or something like that. They'd probably get a lot of support from those who want the LTNs to work.

 

[Collateral Dama]

I've emailed my councillors, MP & assembly member to ask them to ask the police why they aren't doing anything about the constant vandalism which is wrecking some of the schemes. I know not everyone likes them but there will be a consultation which is the democratic way to deal with this. By allowing the vandals to get away with it, the police are allowing a small group of antis to bully their way to victory and that's not OK.

Do you know how the public consultation preceding the decision on whether to make the LTNs permanent will work? It’s one of the questions I’ve posed to the Lambeth planners. The decision following stage 1 was made by Claire Holland, and Claire (or her replacement) will be the decision maker following consideration of any objections received during stage 2. Will Claire (or her replacement) also be the decision maker in the public consultation on making the schemes permanent?

 

[Collateral Dama]

Fair enough, it seems a legitimate problem and you have my sympathy if you are unambiguously not in favour of the scheme being sabotaged.

The thing is, when videos are posted on youtube accompanied by comments demanding that the LTN is ripped out in response to problems largely caused by sabotage of the filters, they don't get much sympathy from me because I start to wonder if they are posted by someone who doesn't want the LTNs anyway, and who is maybe quite happy for the sabotage to go on so that they can post videos of traffic chaos on their street.

If the videos were posted alongside comments complaining about Lambeth and the police failing to enforce the filters and demanding something's done about that, then they'd get a completely different response from me (and presumably others). I'd then be likely to share them, maybe even email an MP or something like that. They'd probably get a lot of support from those who want the LTNs to work.

I didn’t make the videos posted above or write the associated text. I know that the person who did is opposed to the LTN because of its effect on Ferndale Road and on roads surrounding the LTN, particularly Bedford and Landor Roads, but also Clapham high street, Acre Lane and others. A lot of the people who live on those roads are unhappy about what’s happened but, unlike us, they’re not within the LTN or a “healthy route”. Others, including me, are willing to give the LTN a chance as long as the council fixes the damage that they’ve done to the road where we live. Your statement that the videos are showing problems largely caused by sabotage of the filters is (almost) entirely incorrect. The videos could not have been made if the LTN had not been created. Nothing like this ever occurred before the LTN. And all of the videos that I made (all over six months ago) were done before the Ferndale Road filter was installed. It took nearly a year for the council to put that filter in, and now that they have they’re not very committed to seeing it work by stopping the sabotage or stopping the HGVs from driving through it. Nearly all the videos of Ferndale Road were made when almost all the cars and trucks were acting entirely lawfully, using the new through route between Clapham and Brixton. You’re engaging in a sort of victim blaming here. You’re suggesting that I or someone else on Ferndale Road might want the filters to be damaged so that all the cars and lorries will continue to use the road, and so that all the motorbikes will continue to drive on the pavement, so that we can continue to make videos to show how horrible LTNs are? Why would any sane person want to do that? (I’m not a taxi driver, if you’re wondering, and I don’t know any taxi drivers). I’d never heard of an LTN before this one landed on me and I wish that I never had. I know that my neighbours feel the same. The last year of our lives have been blighted by this one. Hence the negative tone. The approach you suggest for future videos, saying that all this is due to the vandalism, would just not be correct. Until very recently, nearly all of it was due to the LTN. Now it’s a combination. But there would be no problem without, and there was no problem before, the LTN.

 

[teuchter]

By the same logic there was no problem before private cars became affordable, or maybe before satnavs became common, or before cities existed. The sabotage is a response to the LTN and the LTNs are a response to increasing traffic on residential roads, air pollution and excessive car use. So you can decide to trace the 'cause' of your problem back to the introduction of the LTN, I can choose to trace it back to the things that (in my opinion) make things like LTNs necessary. Either way, I think we can agree that your problem could probably be solved by Lambeth sorting out enforcement of the filters and other details of the scheme.

It seems that they are partially doing that but in the typically slow and ill-communicated way that Lambeth specialise in. You do have my sympathy and I understand why you're fed up. I live next to a fairly busy road with beeping, shouting and frequent collisions myself but I knew that to some extent when I decided to live here. Of course of all this has started on a previously peaceful road you'll not be happy. I hope things can get resolved for you without the whole LTN being thrown out with the bathwater.

 

[ash]

I live on Ferndale and all the accounts and occasional videos don’t ring true to me.