Hi - just read the item in news http://www.hernehillforum.org.uk/news_in_the_area about the end of Railton road outside the station.

This is a golden opportunity to massively improve this area, making it friendly safe and welcoming to point many people arrive in Herne Hill.

Really hope our council will listen to residents and keep residents involved as the finalise the detail of the plans.
http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/AD6594 ... s.pdf

Shows the scheme, with a roundabout outside the newsagents / selections and the vets, we'd hoped and understood was to give people on foot priority all the way up from the turning with Rymer Street, rather than just the final section from selections up.
Of course the shops need access for deliveries and customers collecting dropping large loads / pets.
This can still work with a pedestrianised area, it doesn't need a fully fledged road and roundabout, this will only encourage the cars to dominate.

By giving the area over to pedestrians the whole character will change making the area more welcoming to visit, encouraging events like the Herne Hill Expo.
Please planners think of pedestrians as you would cars, as highly efficient sustainable transport machines, but with a heart and soul.

The "car park" is, presumably, for the benefit of our esteemed mini-cab drivers who currently occupy all the existing parking spaces, leaving no gaps for customers of our local traders.

They also block the pavement with their cabs. It will be a free for all when they dont have to get out of the way of through traffic, buses etc.

Hey! I feel totally cheated! I thought that the whole of that top end of Railton Road was going to be pedestrianised, which would be great news for Railton Rd, and maybe even encourage people to open up businesses in the empty units on the Commerical side of Railton Road (is that the south side?).

I am sure that is what most people understood was happening. I'm going to check this out and lobby the council and Tessa Jowell.

This is such a shame - my understanding of the proposal was that the whole area around the station would be pedestrianised, which would have been such an improvement. I really like Herne Hill but one of its major drawbacks is that it does feel like a bit of a junction and the previous plans would have really helped with that. What a disappointment!

Here's a copy of the letter I've sent to our Herne Hill Ward councillers

v
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kitreno
Date: 26 January 2010 07:40
Subject: Herne Hill town square
To: "Dickson,Jim Cllr" JDickson@lambeth.gov.uk>, "Thackray,Rebecca Cllr" RThackray@lambeth.gov.uk>, "McHugh,Kirsty Cllr" KMcHugh@lambeth.gov.uk>
Cc: Louise Reynolds louise@louisereynolds.me.uk>


Dear Councillors,

We have just read the item in news http://www.hernehillforum.org.uk/news_in_the_area about the end of Railton road outside the station.
This is also being discussed in the forum

This is a golden opportunity to massively improve this area, making it friendly safe and welcoming the point many people arrive in Herne Hill.

Really hope our council will listen to residents and keep residents involved as the finalise the detail of the plans.
http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/AD6594 ... s.pdf

The map above on the council website shows the scheme, with a road running up to a roundabout outside the newsagents / Selections and the vets, we'd hoped and understood the plan was to give people on foot priority all the way up from the turning with Rymer Street, rather than just the final section from selections up. Although there is a 'raised table' outside the station, we know from our own street Regent Road that vehicles still take these at some speed, and that they leave a space still feeling like road.

Of course the shops need access for deliveries and customers collecting dropping large loads / pets.
This can still work with a pedestrianised area,ie a shared space without clear curbs that will leave any vehicle driver clear that they have to slow to say

By giving the area over to pedestrians the whole character will change making the area more welcoming to visit, encouraging events like the Herne Hill Expo, and pedestrians rather than vehicles helping us all reduce our carbon emissions as well as brining the community together.

Please can each of you ask the council planners think of pedestrians as they would cars and to look back through their consultation especially with the Herne Hill Forum environment group.
As highly efficient sustainable transport machines, but with a heart and soul that should be given priority in this small area that could be the lively heart of Herne Hill.

I have also sent them an email along the same lines.

What a disgrace. We should all email the councillors and avert this tragedy!

Because I live in Southwark I did not receive a copy of the plans. I use that area just as much as any Lambeth resident and this illustrates the way Councils, or lambeth at least, have a simplistic view of how their plans and actions have impact on the wider public.

I also live in Southwark side of HH and received nothing. HH needed a boost and who knows it could have been the square