+ Open Letter to Councillor Livingstone

An open letter to Councillor Richard Livingstone, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and the Climate Emergency, 29 August 2020

Dear Councillor Livingstone,

The Council has listened. The recent Phase 2 proposals include timed restrictions, monitored by cameras, for some roads in Dulwich Village. We welcome this approach as a balanced way forward.

Concerns remain – the positioning of the cameras, access during the trial period, and why the closures benefit some streets while disadvantaging others. But we believe, with careful thought and goodwill, these issues can be fixed. We have the beginnings of a fair and equitable solution that can work across Dulwich.

Please take this one step further. You know that 1300 local people are asking you to trial timed restrictions at Dulwich Village junction, too. This is a key request from the local community. A trial of timed restrictions across the whole Dulwich area may show that closing roads only at peak hours will achieve your, and our, objectives of reducing traffic, improving air quality, facilitating social distancing, and making active travel safer and easier.

Keeping the permanent closures at this junction, as you know, pushes traffic 24/7 on to main residential roads that already have high levels of pollution, risking the health of those who live there.

It also discriminates against the most vulnerable, particularly the housebound who rely on carers.

To those who want to keep the closures to create road space for community events, we say that this is a side issue. There is nothing to stop the temporary closure of roads anywhere in Dulwich, at any time, for markets, concerts or street parties. This should not direct policy.

We are asking you to balance the needs of all who live and work in the Dulwich area. In return your Labour council will be seen as fair, reasonable, responsive and democratic.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

One Dulwich