'Temporary' Closure of Dulwich Village junction to go ahead

Southwark Council has now approved the temporary closure of Dulwich Village junction, blocking entry/exit to Court Lane and Calton Avenue, under an “experimental traffic management order”. The order comes into effect on 25 June 2020 and will be in place for 18 months (i.e. until 29 December 2021).

In response to the concerns of local residents, the Council has stated that “because the proposal is experimental, there is no requirement for advanced consultation and there is no power of objection”.

Since plans for this experimental order became publicly known, residents from all over Dulwich have written to our ward councillors, Richard Leeming and Margy Newens, MP Helen Hayes, and the Southwark Council Cabinet member responsible for the decision, Richard Livingstone to say that we do not want this junction closed to traffic. Many of us said we would prefer to see timed restrictions for traffic, rather than complete closure, for which One Dulwich and others have been campaigning for months. Although the decision has been taken, One Dulwich believes it is vital to keep up the pressure and for as many people as possible to voice their objections. We will continue to campaign for timed restrictions as a more pragmatic and sensible solution.

One Dulwich now has hundreds of supporters, with people joining every day, including residents, shopkeepers and doctors. We have been flooded with emails showing just how much the Council’s decision and the “Our Healthy Streets Dulwich” process that led up to it, have bitterly divided the community. It has caused considerable distress to those residents and traders most affected by the junction closure, especially elderly, less able people whose lives are most challenged by Covid-19 and its isolating effects and who depend on cars for mobility, not just transport.

Our supporters believe that the Council’s decision has not been arrived at through proper consultation with residents or shopkeepers, and is based on inaccurate and misleading evidence.

Many suspect that it has been pushed through “with no power of objection” under the cover of Covid.

All of us at One Dulwich are committed to healthier streets for all. But we need to achieve this objective fairly, transparently and democratically.