Attending
Ali Angus (AA) Transitional Chair, Streatham Action (SA)
Neil Salt (NS) Chair, Streatham Action Transport Group (SATG)
Emma Elliott (EE) SATG Secretary
Helen Bird (HB) Minute Taker
Brian Storey, (BS) Co-Treasurer, Streatham Action
Robert Doyle, (RD)Co-Treasurer, Streatham Action
(190 on call, details in chat/meeting attendance)
Apologies
Bell Ribeiro-Addy
Cllr Martin Abrams
1. Welcome from Chair, apologies, introductions and declarations of interest
● NS welcomed everyone to the meeting and explained the premise for this much larger than usual attendance so as to allow as many residents and local businesses as possible to share their early-stage feedback on the Streatham Wells trial LTN. Streatham Action committee members and local councillors present are keen to hear these early-stage views of local residents.
o NS explained his role as Chair of SATG and that he was pleased to be joined for this meeting by AA, Transitional Chair of SA
o EE in her capacity as SATG Secretary role will be administering and moderating the meeting and monitoring the Chat
o BS role, assisting EE with monitoring the Chat
o HB taking minutes of the meeting
● NS explained how SA facilitates conversations with local residents and businesses to feed back to Lambeth Council and beyond.
● SA, via SATG, has been involved in discussions about LTNs from the earliest opportunity of them being proposed LB Lambeth.
● LB Lambeth officers were invited to attend this meeting, however none were in attendance this evening, in particular given Cllr Rezina Chowdhury’s advice for them not to be present.
LB Lambeth councillors’ representation:
● Cllrs DH and MB (Lib Dem)
● Cllrs SA and NG (Green)
o Labour Cllrs were invited, but with none choosing to attend, on the back of a feeling that this was too early a date for any meaningful discussion to take place on early-stage experiences.
Local business representation:
● InStreatham BID
Local residents groups’ representation:
● Liveable SW group
● LTN Watch group
● NS confirmed that all meeting attendees had evidenced their home address or lived experiences specifically within the SW LTN area.
● AA relayed a very recent message received from BRA; she will meet with Sixth Form students at Dunraven on Friday, alongside further schools following on from this initial meeting, to garner young people’s views.
● BRA’s advance advice to SATG; she has noted constituents’ early comments, but has no authority to overturn the scheme.
● BRA is discussing the situation with local councillors and believes some adjustments to the implemented scheme are needed.
2. Streatham Action’s Code of Conduct for meetings
● All participants on mute until invited to speak.
● Permission to record meeting agreed.
● EE read the Code of Conduct to participants outlining expected behaviours (also provided in Chat)
● EE invited attendees to use the Chat facility to forward queries in writing to SATG.
3. Approval of draft minutes (attached) from meeting held on 22nd August
● The draft minutes of the meeting held on 22nd Aug were approved as an accurate record, with no amendments.
4. Matters arising from the draft minutes not covered elsewhere on the agenda
● None
5. Feedback from attendees as to their early-stage experiences of the trial LTN with a focus in turn on the following roads in particular within each of the following coloured areas:
● Red area (key focus: Shrubbery, Gleneldon and Stanthorpe Roads)
● Yellow area (key focus: southern end of Valley, Valleyfield, Oakdale, Madeira & Hopton Roads)
Purple area (key focus: Valley, Sunnyhill, Wellfield and Pinfold Roads & Gracefield Gardens)
Chiara & Thomas
● +45 mins added to school runs to Dulwich, cycling dangerous, no alternative/safe routes.
● Uber drivers unwilling to collect / drop Thomas inside LTN
● Sunnyhill School Street times makes access to homes on Valley Road more difficult
Deniz
● Access now cut off to Dulwich, Tulse Hill etc under current SW LTN scheme
● Suggests registration plate recognition (ANPR) to allow residents access to the roads on which they live within the LTN
● Described convoluted route needed to be taken, with example given of + 30 mins journey time outside rush hour.
● Not against bikes but older people need to use cars, to get to Tulse Hill for access to Guys & St Thomas’s Hospital.
● NS advised ANPR is not being contemplated by LB Lambeth, but he will feed this suggestion back to them.
Kiana
● + 30 mins added to daily commute, so car on road for longer; Uber consistently refusing to enter LTN
● Increased concentration of traffic on Wellfield Rd; with consequent U-turns in middle of road causing near accidents
● Stressful
● EE advised that SATG is waiting to hear back from BRAs office about a resolution to the Valley Road surgery access issue.
● AA noted queries re. the duration of the initial trial LTN scheme and asked for clarification.
● NS advised LB Lambeth say trial scheme duration of 12-18 months; first 6 months from implementation date is the only period when public may put in comments/complaints; there is no mechanism to object/comment after that date point.
● Cllr DH clarified about the number of submissions individuals/groups can make; she confirmed she has not been advised that multiple comments cannot be submitted.
● Clarified to make it clear to all present on the call that the local councillors are not those persons responsible for the LTN’s implementation.
ACTION
● RD to circulate email address for people to send their comments/concerns to LB Lambeth
● EE confirmed that all positive suggestions received in the meeting Chat will also be forwarded to LB Lambeth.
Friday
● Concerns re. personal safety on roads with less traffic on them now. Same point raised by Chabs in Chat.
● AA noted and advised that Streatham Action is taking personal safety very seriously and will be working with the community about this issue and the concerns raised.
Denise
● Uber issue again. Now takes longer to get to Dunraven School, with +20 mins to school run.
Dilleram
● Residents and businesses missing deliveries will not get a re-delivery attempt from the delivery company on the same day now, as a result of the LTN access restrictions.
Wellfield Road Comments/Feedback
Ian McBride
● Longer time now spent in cars is not good for environment
● LTN signage is terrible; U-turns, as mentioned earlier, and motorists speeding once a clear run opens up on the road.
Amanda
● Has experienced increased school run times and speeding;
● Road surface is terrible in parts and needs resurfacing;
● Signage; motorists coming into LTN area from outside have no idea what to expect/anticipate
6. Feedback from attendees as to their early-stage experiences of the trial LTN, with a focus in turn on each of the following boundary roads:
● Leigham Court Road (including Sternhold Avenue)
● Streatham High Road (SHR)
● Streatham Common North
● Feedback from local businesses
Leigham Court Road Comments/Feedback
● NS advised SATG has constantly asked LB Lambeth for evidence that the SH LTN has met all objectives set for it, prior to SW trial LTN implementation
Khush
● Understands sustainability issue; notes too much engine idling
● +35 mins on school run
● Public transport needs to improve to help people to make sustainable travel choices
● Public transport should be improved before implementing LTNs
● PTAL (public transport accessibility level) definition for the LCR area is poor (Brixton is 6)
Sam
● Liberty school has fed back that some parents/carers have exemptions so that out-of-borough parents arriving by taxi etc are currently not able to gain close access to the school; this will cause disruption/distress
● LB Lambeth’s response received is that they will agree to waive fines incurred by parents
● School streets/LTNs and additional strain on roads
● NS commented that upcoming School Street’s implementation - for Henry Cavendish School - on Woodfield Ave additionally now needs to be taken into account
Suggested ACTION
● SATG to question LB Lambeth about the continuing requirement for school streets within a LTN area
● Cllr NG advised that she lives on Sunnyhill Rd; she is aware of Henry Cavendish School’s concerns re the upcoming School Street and the apparent lack of consultation with other schools in the area. This is being looked at
Michelle, head teacher at Henry Cavendish School (Streatham)
● Confirmed no consultation with school/parents; exemption period between 8:30 – 9:15
● Speaking to parents next week with implementation in the following week
● Staff, parents and pupils cannot get to school – creating stress
● EE noted concerns from cyclists submitted in Chat.
Rick Snow, cyclist
● Cycles on Leigham Court Rd and on towards the City; now feels dangerous to cycle; lack of safe passing space for bikes; extra car fumes, steep hill with potholes; cyclists now face increased danger on road
● NS advised SATG had submitted counter-proposal suggestions to LB Lambeth to keep Valley Rd open. LB Lambeth’s response was that there is a ‘healthy route’ cycle scheme being implemented which will go along Valley Rd from its junction with Streatham Common North to Sunnyhill Road.
Dale
● Quality of life issues including concerns re. air pollution; heavy traffic, pavements busier with cyclists; Julian’s and Dunraven pupils exposed to increased air pollution now as a consequence of the trial scheme.
Monica
● Cannot get out of her drive in morning due to heavy traffic; other family members delayed; gridlock
● NS advised Airly online link to LB Lambeth air quality monitoring would be provided in Chat and minutes
Caroline
● Can LTN not run at specific times? (eg. not including weekends and late evenings / night) this could be helpful
● Exemptions won’t help necessarily
● NS advised that AA and he will be meeting with Heads of Dunraven Secondary and Primary Schools next week.
Wanda
● Lives near Norbury
● Daughter walking to Dunraven; took car to make school run today (wet weather);
● +20 mins in heavy traffic on return journey home by bus
● Wanda’s daily drive time +1 hr now
Streatham High Road Comments/Feedback
Ian Armstrong
● LTN Watch WhatsApp Group started 10th Oct in response to LTN concerns
● People saying they want to leave Streatham; buses terminating early because schedules slipping due to delays caused by increased traffic on bus routes
Caroline Wifa
● Suggests re-opening some of the roads in the Leigham Vale area
● Thinks pre-election 2024 will see reversals of schemes
● NS advised that Shrubbery Rd is still two-way
Caroline P
● Has noted Streatham High Rd Southbound (afternoons) bad; Northbound (mornings) better
● Gridlock affecting people’s mental health; lack of communication from LB Lambeth to acknowledge problems created
● Streatham Common South – motorists are using this road, alongside back roads, more now as a means of short cutting from SHR Northbound in the mornings in particular and speeding where there is a clear run
● EE advised that Charly has commented in Chat that they and friends are no longer car-sharing, as they had done before LTN implementation, because of now increased traffic / lack of access between car-sharers’ homes.
Streatham Common North Comments/Feedback
● NS advised that SATG has noted feedback re. LCR, with drivers experiencing long tailbacks as far as Julian’s school in the early mornings from 7.30
Louis Davidson
● Cyclists are now facing the added danger from confused motorists making unsafe manoeuvres
● never seen so much traffic; dangerous for cyclists, who are now going onto pavements as a result;
● diesel emissions increased from idling bus engines; no improvements experienced
Maya Mum
● bottom of Valleyfield Rd now resembles a massive car park; more traffic; drivers cutting through / up Valleyfield Rd and more speeding
● NS advised that the steepness of Valleyfield Rd and consequent dangers for manoeuvring around any originally proposed traffic filter, had influence on LB Lambeth choosing to cut out any traffic filter on that road
Sylvia McBride
● Residents now forced to use boundary roads and cannot access own homes easily
Dr T Anderson
● With a safer school street shortly to be implemented on Woodfield Avenue,? Henry Cavendish school traffic will then be pushed onto Mt Ephraim Rd
● Pedestrian crossings alone on WA would solve the problem
● NS thanked Dr TA for this suggestion
Juri Pegu SS
● Biggest problem is Streatham High Rd and lack of opportunity to widen it around central Streatham
● Is LTN appropriate for Streatham overall?
● Possibly some one-way traffic?
● LTN in peak hours only?
Olivia
● Lives on Hill House Rd
● Cannot get out of road onto Streatham Common North at peak times; pollution increased and problems with buses. No positives
Diane
● Air quality monitoring concerns at top of LCR around BTG school
Jeremy Clyne
● Woodfield Avenue changes have been implemented on the back of utilising Traffic count data, secured by LB Lambeth, of around 30 vehicles p/hr at times
● Traffic displacement extends beyond boundary roads (eg Garrads Rd and Bedford Hill) impacting upon many bus routes and timetables.
● Concerned that LB Lambeth baseline traffic counts may be restricted only to boundary roads.
Steph
● Lives on Streatham High Rd; residents not consulted about LTN;
● traffic and air pollution is ruining high street
Bianca
● Trial LTN now necessitates making school run to Julian’s via Crown Point thereby increasing her journey time. This has forced her child into breakfast club, but even that earlier school arrival time is still delaying B getting into work and home after school run; air pollution
Madeira Road
● Cannot get to work in Croydon on time after dropping kids to school, leaving home 07:15 hrs
● Increasing length of school and working days
Michelle
● Struggling to get to work; changed job in order to accommodate; may need to change job again.
Chris
● Lives on Conifer Gardens; going to Sydenham / Penge now +20 mins; increasing amount of pollution; too frightened to cycle now
● LTN closures only to operate during morning and evening rush hour periods in an equivalent to an extended version of School Streets?
Nicola McDonald
● Key worker; school run problems; disappointed with scheme
Glen West
● poor signage / fines disproportionate to incursion, as often made by mistake
Kate
● How do we collectively challenge the scheme?
● Increase bus service? Push back to LB Lambeth? How do we engage?
Jim Bennett
● LTN signs not always recognised by motorists; JB and residents trying to educate drivers locally
● Nowhere for traffic to evaporate
● AA offered her sympathy to all concerned and offered her thanks to those attending and contributing; including JB and neighbours for proactively trying to assist motorists.
● SA committee is also working with Norwood Forum to share knowledge and learning
● AA thanked everyone supporting the meeting, including those attending councillors
Business Community Representatives
Louise Abbotts, InStreatham BID
● Business community mindful of impact on environment/community.
● BID is circulating survey to gather feedback; to supply LB Lambeth with detailed evidence of LTN’s impact on businesses
● 50 responses already received within first hour of circulation
● Genuine concerns from local businesses about loss of earnings
Nick, Hideaway Workspace
● Streatham businesses rely on a network of customers in surrounding areas; interrelated nature of supply chain etc
● Predicts if LTN remains in place, in 1-2 yrs, Hideaway Workspace will have to close, owing to lack of interest from business tenants.
● Estimates loss of £70K p/a rental already, within 1 week of LTN’s implementation, owing to potential a tenant pulling out over increased traffic/problems getting to office space.
● Receiving tangible feedback from tenants of additional costs in time and money to their businesses as a result of LTN.
● Now having to consider offering rent freezes to try to retain existing tenants.
Gabriel, Oaks Estate Agents
● 2 branches, one located on Streatham High Rd and another in Tulse Hill?
● Traffic congestion increasing journey times, both for businesses and school runs; unable to get to Tulse Hill
● Unproductive use of time sitting in traffic equates directly to lost business.
Ricky, owner local Dog Walking business
● Services Streatham Wells area; has recently lost 1 member of staff and lost clients as a result of increased journey times and lack of access to properties.
● Journey times increasing +1 hr; trying to group dogs to optimise time/task where possible
● Engine idling and increased fuel costs
● Would like to see exemption for residents and businesses
7. Next steps – collation of feedback for imparting to Lambeth Council’s Streatham Wells trial LTN implementation team and with further follow-up to be provided at Streatham Action AGM in late November
● AA confirmed SATG will collate all relevant information shared and produce report. This will be given to councillors so they have all the views and concerns.
ACTION:
● AA, NS and SATG committee
● Cllr NG offered support to help collate residents’ views.
END OF PUBLIC MEETING
SATG committee part of meeting
Air pollution
NS suggested that, unless good evidence of SW trial LTN fulfilling all criteria, it would be premature for LBL to consider implementing LTN.
● Confirmed SATG has to date not received requested stage 3 monitoring report; he noted that nothing has been published on LB Lambeth website re. Leigham Court Rd
● Re. request for further monitoring data – neither SATG committee nor the councillors have been provided with further requested information by LB Lambeth.
● Luuk van Kessel has moved to another team – so consequently no longer SATG’s point of contact on this matter
● NS is also in contact with the air quality monitoring team at LB Lambeth
● LB Lambeth’s 2022 air pollution monitoring report is due to be published imminently
● Its 2021 report was published in Oct last year thereby indicating that its 2022 report is now overdue for publication?
Cllr NG advised that she submitted a Member’s Enquiry about this and anticipates a response within 5 days; she will share that response with SATG when received.
Cllr SA strongly recommended it should be SATG’s role, if not getting answers, to utilise fully the democratic process, such as bringing a deputation to a Full Council Meeting as a means of short circuiting, for instance, the need to wait for answers on key issues; the need for this requested data is fundamental.
NS noted no full LB Lambeth meetings scheduled until January 2024
NS asked that SATG plan a deputation at its next meeting in Dec and queried the notice period required.
Cllr SA advised checking the Council’s constitution in this regard.
Cllr DH advised that there is no guarantee LB Lambeth will accept a deputation request, and it is not legally obliged to do so
JWW has been reviewing peak time NO2 data
● levels both on Leigham Court Rd and outside St Andrew’s school on Streatham Common North appear to be breaking World Health Organisation guidelines since implementation
● Conceded that until SATG knows the baseline data, it is difficult to know as to what to attribute to the SW trial LTN
Valley Road Status
● NS reported recent response from Cllr RC states ‘the technical reclassification of Valley Rd is not part of our plans’
● NS understands from this response, therefore, that Valley Rd is still a London distributor road
● Presumably LB Lambeth have liaised with TfL on this issue?
● SATG has received a response from TfL confirming that it is for each local Council to determine as to its road classifications, aside from red routes which remain the responsibility of TfL
● JC advised that he finds the two statements confusing and incompatible
● NS queried as to why LB Lambeth do not seem to regard it as necessary technically to reclassify Valley Rd
ACTION: NS to continue to follow up with GLA contacts for clarification about road reclassification.
Discussion about bus stops ?
The 315 bus route is not supposed to be negatively impacted by implementation of the trial LTN
419 bus stop issue, at the bottom of SCN and close to its junction with S H Rd. When that bus is at its stop there are considerable problems with other vehicles being able to pass it utilising the two lanes that are supposed to be available. One way to get around that problem may be for SATG to recommend a removal of the adjacent bus stop going eastbound, given a neighbouring bus stop very close by on SHR, and thereby widening slightly the road width just at that point adjacent to the bus stop westbound
Cllr DH – does not believe, however, that this would be a constructive suggestion
JB – suggests a widening of SCN where viable
NS – recommended that anyone with further suggestions at this junction area should contact him with their ideas
Junctions discussion
NS – possible implementation of some further yellow box junctions?
JC – wants to ask TfL about bus times
RD – non-compliance at junction of Sternhold Ave with SHR – suggests a yellow box junction?
RD – what is time scale for getting changes made to traffic flow timings?
Chris
Lives at junction of Pendennis with SHR and traffic backing up
Possible reappraisal of Culverhouse Gardens situation?
Signage is completely inadequate
JB – suggests yellow box implementation at Pendennis
7. Date for when the 2 lifts will be operational at Streatham station and feedback in relation to Southern Rail’s plan to close the side gate on Platform 1 to Russell’s Footpath, once the 2 lifts are up and running.
● NS advised he does not yet have a “go live” date for Streatham Station.
ACTION:
● NS to obtain date from GTR manager.
8. AOB
● EE confirmed 190 participants in total on call this evening.
● NS reminded committee and councillors to email him with their suggestions.
9. Date and venue of next Meeting
● Streatham Tate Library (tbc), Wednesday 13th December 2023
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