Dartmouth Road Reconfiguration

I think we all know it’s going to be grim. Everyone will be affected, not just those on adjoining roads. What’s wrong with trying to plan events that might mitigate some of the damage caused to trade during the closure?

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Quite, make the best of a bad thing. Like the street party when the South Circular was closed for weeks because of the water main burst by Sainsburys.

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I got in a mess trying to insert a link to a website.

My deleted post first asked sarcastically (in my usual manner) whether there was going to be a planning group for the events proposed for Dartmouth Road while it is closed, and, if so, who would be on it.

Then it went on to ask whether someone could give an authoritative reply to the question about whether bus stops are just to be moved or whether there are going to be new ones. The link which, after quite a lot of ferreting around, I found (and tried unsuccessfully to link to) suggested that at any rate the existing Thorpewood Avenue southbound stop would remain.

@robin.orton The easiest way is to right click on the link then copy and paste on here. If you look at the “FAQ” section" there is a good example. John

I’ve seen nothing to suggest the existing stop will be removed. The gap between stops is too big at present. The intension is to remedy this, not to replace one gap with another.

It doesn’t really make sense to make PV car park free for 2 hours when there already is a two hour car park closer to the shops on Dartmouth Road. But I would also expect that only some of the parking would be impacted at any time (at least until the last six weeks of complete closure).

I think a street party would be great and I love the positivity about making the best out of a bad situation. That’s the South London Spirit!

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68 posts were merged into an existing topic: Parking in Forest Hill

Hi Robin, yes the existing bus stop opposite Thorpewood will remain.

With regard to doing an event at this stage it’s just an idea. If we manage to get permission to do this I will set up a group to organise it & all would be more than welcome to be involved in the planning :slight_smile:

The Sainsbury’s picnic was organised on Fb and was unofficial.

Thanks, John, That’s what I tried to do, but I think there was something odd about the link itself.

If you want to pm the link to me and I will try.

Thanks, but I don’t think it’s worth spending further time on this. I am
sure the problem was a one-off. Robin

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I like the idea of an ice rink too maybe because my dad was third in figure skating in Serbia.
TBH it was only after his death that mum admitted it was not a family joke. It was one of his teenage I can do what I want things, that lasted a short time.

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@anon5422159 can you set up a group for organising the D Rd event/party please that anyone can join to either give ideas and/or help with planning it & also to discuss going about getting permission etc :slight_smile:

Done. Join this group to see the DR Festival category:

/se23.life/groups/DR_Festival

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Another leaflet circulating about the loss of parking at Forest Lodge (although no mention of bus stops this time)

What I don’t understand is why parking provision wasn’t built into the plan in the first place - unless the currently used parking area is not officially recognised as such?

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Quite a few people from Thorpewood & Derby Hill are quite worried about this due to the fact that they’re already inundated with parked cars, quite a few have told me they’ve written to Cllr’s about their concerns.

Am I right in thinking Forest Lodge has parking spaces to the rear of the building?

Hi @Pauline
There is a lot of concern and residents are writing to me about it. If you are concerned resident the best email to use is cllr_maja.hilton@lewisham.gov.uk
If you don’t have an email my official address is Civic Suite, Catford Road, SE6 4RU.
To my knowledge there is no parking at the other side. Certainly min of 20 cars would be displaced under the current scheme.

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The land is Council-owned so Forest Lodge owners/residents have no rights over it. It doesn’t have drop kerbs along most of its length either, so the parking that has been taking place there has been on an informal basis. However I do sympathise with the people who currently park there, and those who live on streets which will receive the displaced parking.

That said though, my family and I walk past Forest Lodge along Dartmouth Road on a daily basis, and the parking there is problematic to say the least. There shouldn’t be vehicles manoeuvring around the rear of a pedestrian crossing. The crossing itself has suffered three of its four protective wooden bollards being destroyed by cars. Similarly there shouldn’t be cars parked and manoeuvring around a bus stop. But even taking these two particularly sensitive areas aside, it’s also fundamentally unsafe to have cars reversing out onto Dartmouth Road across the footway. Antisocial parking is a frequent problem too, with vehicles often partially and sometimes fully blocking the footway. All in all it makes it a pretty rubbish place to walk.

During the design development, parking bays between the footway and the carriageway (i.e. not involving vehicles crossing the pavement) were investigated by Lewisham Council and their consultants along the stretch of road from the bus stop to the crossing. I’m not sure why these haven’t made it into the final design, but I suspect that they failed the safety audit. In any case, they wouldn’t have matched the numbers of spaces lost, so the issue of displacement would have occurred anyway, albeit in lesser numbers.

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Thanks @MajaHilton & @brencud for the replies both seem really helpful to me :slight_smile:

One supposes that if parking in adjacent streets becomes a problem then the only solution will be CPZ?