Blocked-off roads diary: Parklet in collision with 315 bus… Where have all the cycles gone?… Parklets are now being painted turquoise. The cost? £10,000 to paint six of them… and who is Will Norman???

Photo courtesy Amanda Skeffington Lambeth LTN Watch Facebook group

A parklet was in collision with a 315 bus in the Streatham area on Saturday March 9th.

It is not yet known what damage, if any, was caused to the bus.  

News From Crystal Palace have twice tried to contact Abellio’s press office at the email given in their press releases:  press.enquiries@abellio.co.uk but it’s coming back as ‘not known.’

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…and if you’re wondering 1) Why there are no cyclists in the above photo, here’s one possible reason:

Photo courtesy One Lambeth Facebook member Angela who says: “This is the Nonsense Lambeth council are allowing.!”

and 2) why the parklets are now being painted turquoise…

There are six parklets in Lambeth borough with a total annual maintenance cost of £10,000* which are now being painted turquoise.

Six parklets at £10,000 – say just over £1,600 each – to paint what you see above.

Mr Derek Trotter of Trotter’s Independent Painters (London Paris Streatham) would consider this “Lovely Jubbly.”

Mr Arthur Daley of Minder Painters would consider this a “Nice little earner.”

Meanwhile, members of Lambeth LTN Watch Facebook group have their own opinions:

I have just been driving down Valley Road and noticed that they have re-painted the Public Parklets so that you no longer see that they are Public Parklets. Yet another waste of time, effort and money by Lambeth, or is it to make us realise that we cannot use these things (that we never wanted anyway) and that they are now there only for the privileged residents of Lambeth.

Nobody will ever use them and they will remain to pose danger. As you drive into Valley rd from the the left (mini roundabout), if you are not careful you’ll crash into it. It will happen.

Or someone will crash into one while people are sitting there. It’s an accident waiting to happen.

 Does anyone ever sit there?

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 I saw school kids sitting there a few weeks ago.

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 I’ve actually seen traffic wardens sitting on these benches.

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I wonder if they were they working or resting?

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I saw someone unblocking the drainage hole yesterday, that must have been pre-paint. I can’t understand for the life of me why they have been repainted

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 Decorating them for when they become the new rubbish bins when the every two week bin collection starts.

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Possibly to stop them looking as shabby, after only six months… (was the cost £7,000 each “Parklet”?).

Repainted as a reminder that its there to stay so get used to it. Hideous waste of money that they don’t have. Apparently. 

*Big Shift – Community Fund Parklets Permanent Traffic Orders

• *OFFICER DELEGATED DECISION REPORT 01 DECEMBER 1st 2023 Paragraph 3.2 In addition, there is a required annual maintenance budget of £10,000 which will be funded from existing revenue budget identified for the Big Shift Programme agreed by Cabinet in October 2022 (see Appendix F).

• ODDR Community Fund parklets  PDF 640 KB
• Appendix A Parklet locations  PDF 476 KB
• Appendix F The Big Shift CMDDR  PDF 492 KB

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…AND WHO IS WILL NORMAN?

Charlotte Gill @CharlotteCGill

If you want to know more about the man bringing London traffic to a standstill, here’s my article on @willnorman

From charlottecgill.co.uk

CYCLE WATCH 🚲🚴‍♀️

Who is Will Norman?

Meet London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner paid £110,000-£114,999 per year

CHARLOTTE GILL

FEB 14, 2024

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…AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Post dated April 18th: Just received an acknowledgement of my complaint email about the LTNs. I sent it on 29.2.2024. They’re on the ball.

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Don’t worry Sadiq, me and my family will go without food this week. This is what it costs me to LEAVE London for work – TWO miles!!! That’s £6.25 per mile!!!! I can’t go on like this. I’m one of hundreds of thousands who also can’t go on like this.