Blocked-off roads: Mayor of London’s office to adjudicate on Bromley’s protests

The Mayor of London’s office has been asked to adjudicate on the blocked off roads issue by Bromley council.

Bromley council leader Cllr Colin Smith told News From Crystal Palace: “The Mayor’s team were contacted on Friday and have acknowledged receipt of Bromley’s request that they adjudicate on the matter, but that they have yet to respond substantively.”

As we reported on August 17th Bromley council are threatening legal action against Croydon council in the latest move in the blocked-off roads row.

Bromley council are citing section 121B of the Road Traffic Regulation Act (1984) which states that no London borough council shall exercise any power under the Act in a way which will affect, or be likely to affect, a road in another London borough unless certain subsections of the Act have been satisfied. Please see: BROMLEY COUNCIL THREATEN LEGAL ACTION AGAINST CROYDON OVER ROADBLOCKS: Leader says they will “have the barriers removed by order if common sense isn’t deployed and their street paraphernalia removed swiftly”

• Full details of the section of the Road Traffic Regulation Act (1984) can be found on the end of: OPINION Blocked-off roads: “Nearly all creators of Utopia have resembled the man who has toothache, and therefore thinks happiness consists in not having toothache” – George Orwell

Meanwhile the following is the latest communique from Crystal Palace Low Traffic Neighbourhood posted on Crystal Palace Local Facebook:

Bus gate: why not let local residents through?

There are now over 2,100 signatures to the petition which, while being supportive of the LTN, calls for the bus gate to be opened for access to local residents only.

Our proposal for a better way of controlling traffic within the LTN makes it clear that the bus gate is essential to defending a safe route for walkers and cyclists, but we haven’t addressed why residents shouldn’t be allowed through or whether certain categories of people/vehicles should be given an exemption.

Rather than make a definitive statement that not all people may agree with, this post is going to ask a series of questions that will no doubt tease out a range of answers depending on your own circumstances and the degree to which you think you should be expected to make compromises.

High priority access

1. How about allowing access to people who have to use a car because they are disabled?

Access for people who support the community

2. Should we make it easier for people who need to drive to support the community? For example: community care workers, meals on wheels, doctors and nurses who visit people.

Delivery vehicles

3. Can a case be made for registered last mile delivery vehicles?
4. Should there be provisos such as they must be zero emission and be speed governed to 20mph?

Resident access

Let’s take an imaginary resident called ‘me’ who lives in Cypress Road.

I have to catch the train to go to work. I may need to reach the following stations: Crystal Palace (1.6km), Penge West (2.3km), Penge East (2.9km)

5. Is it sensible to allow me to drive these distances in a big, heavy, low-occupancy metal box?
6. Should I be made to walk/cycle/scoot?
7. Will active travel make me healthier & fitter?
8. Will my car frighten people who are attempting to convert to cycling?
9. Will exempting me as a resident open up the road to all kinds of frivolous journeys?

I need to buy heavy shopping

10. Am I entitled to drive the shortest route or does a slightly extended journey once a week make an appreciable difference?

I need to drive further afield

11. Will it make any difference to journeys I make to the North, South or West?
12. Will the extended durations for my journeys I make in the direction of Penge justify opening the bus gate for all?

That’s just one hypothetical me living in the Southern Peninsular. Other ‘me’s can write their questions below – time for reflection, we are not looking for quick fire answers at the moment.

RESPONSES ON CRYSTAL PALACE LOCAL FACEBOOK INCLUDE:

Great idea, but who decides who’s local? For me, it would solve the problem of getting to our doctors. And, before anyone starts my husband is disabled.

t’s just a further move to making Auckland Island a private estate, and *** anyone else who might need to cross its boundaries. Outsides can’t come in and pollute our area, but we can go out and pollute yours.

MEANWHILE, FROM CRYSTAL PALACE AND PENGE CONSERVATIVES:

RESPONSES ON LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA TO THIS LEAFLET INCLUDE:

What a waste of paper.

I hear it’s made from recycled planters.

Our Bromley MP is Labour but our council is Tory. The Croydon MP is Labour and the council is Labour. Is this party politics in some distorted way? Either way what’s been implemented is *****. If I ran a project like this at work I’d be sacked. And just for the record, I voted for Ellie for what she can and does do. I’m not wearing a Tory hat.