I don't believe that temporary signage, such as the road closed and no entry signs in Perry Vale have any legal significance. They do not comply with the Traffic Sign Regulations and, I suspect have generally not been put in place under a traffic order. Consequently, the Police car wouldn't have been able to do much about the drivers involved. Are you sure the car wasn't also taking advantage of the fact that the road wasn't actually closed despite the signs?

Throughout the South Circular closure, there was a 'No left turn' sign at the lights at the end of Honor Oak Road. The only way to access Waldenshaw Road and the Pearcefield Road car park from Honor Oak Road was by ignoring the sign, which those in the know did. I suspect it was merely put there to discourage the use of Waldenshaw Road / Manor Mount / Davids Road as a blockage bypass.

Whether or not the 'no entry' sign is legally enforceable, if I was driving down there, saw that half the carriageway was closed and there were both 'no entry' and 'road closed' signs, I would turn around. If one of those cars meets a bus coming the other way, I doubt there is room for both of them.

I didn't think the police car was after them, it was just a nice coincidence.

As far as the signage is concerned I do believe it is enforcable however with regards to the no left turn into Waldenshaw Road police have to use their discretion in cases like this. Driving through a no entry however is just dumb.

Traffic was chaotic on Perry Vale again this morning (although very entertaining for this pedestrian). Drivers are either not seeing or ignoring the first road closed sign until they get up by the subway, and then either doing a 3-point turn into Hindsley's Place and nearly coming a cropper when reversing into the path of traffic whizzing round the bend; turning around in Perry Vale itself when they see the road looks closed (4 consecutive cars this morning - what a balletic manoeuvre that was); or drivers who know Waldram Place isn't closed and therefore continue on the wrong side of the road, slaloming in and out to avoid oncoming traffic, so they can turn left onto the South Circular.

Does anyone have details of exactly what work is being done and where? I don't understand why they're trying to stop traffic using Waldram Place to access the west-bound South Circular.

According to this, rather nifty, website, the Perry Vale road closure is due to gas main replacement on Perry Vale and Waldram Park Road/Crescent/Place. It also says there will be temporary traffic signals, Perry Vale will be closed eastbound and Stanstead Road will be closed (I assume this means the residential part of Stanstead Road, not the South Circular part).

Is the 356 bus diverted in both directions? I know the Upper Sydenham-bound bus is going down Church Vale but I don't know if it's also diverted in the opposite direction. The bus stop outside All Inn One didn't have a 'not in use' sign on it last night and a couple of people were waiting there for the bus.

Details from SGN here.

Thanks for finding that information. Text for those who don't want to click through:

Start date: 06 September 2010
Duration: 10 weeks
Location: Waldram Crescent, London SE23 (Forest Hill)
Description:

The current planned start date for this essential work is Monday 6 September, although this date may be subject to change.

Due to the nature of our work, the following restrictions will apply once work gets underway:

Stanstead Road and Waldram Crescent will be closed (access to residents will be maintained). Traffic will be diverted via the alternative entrance into Stanstead Road at the junction with Sunderland Road near The Telegraph public house.

Temporary traffic lights will be installed on the A205 South Circular at the junction with Waldram Crescent and Stanstead Road by the Co-op Convenience store

Residents living between Rojack Road and Waldram Crescent should be aware that the road will have two-way traffic rather than the current one-way system. There will be no access to the A205 during these works due to the closure at Waldram Crescent.

Parking will be restricted in the affected roads due to the heavy plant and excavations on site.

I assume when they say Waldram Crescent will be closed (ie the stretch of road that passes under the railway bridge), they just mean no entry into Stanstead Road at that junction, not that the South Circular will be closed.

There's no mention of the Perry Vale road closure though.

I was told that there would be single file traffic on the south circular with temporary traffic lights. The bit to be dug up is between Waldram Place and Westbourne Drive, which is why they have closed off Perry Vale, Westbourne Dr and Stanstead Rd. The contractors have been waiting two days for the TfL guys to switch off the lights at the junction of Perry Vale, otherwise the work would already have started.

Once they have figured out where to join the mains onto the pipe under the S Circ (apparently the plans are a little vague!), they will continue up Perry Vale to join onto the pipe outside the station.

You can currently get into Stanstead Rd via the Co-op car park.

The no-entry sign and cones now start at Hindsley's place, so there is quite a long one-way stretch on this blind bend on Perry Vale.

Yet drivers are still routinely choosing to drive up the wrong way every morning - some at speed to reduce the chance they'll meet someone coming the other way!

These drivers must be locals or they would not know that there is still an exit at the other end, so my message to them is that if this reckless driving is as dangerous as it appears, then I hope they meet a large truck coming the other way.

[Edit] Sorry - that wasn't very nice - I meant to write I hope the police enforce the one-way system in the mornings and control the situation before an accident occurs.

10 whole weeks I don't mean to sound a whinger but last night was the worst and it took 1/2 hour to get from one side of F/Hill to the other, on average my journey home in the evening is taking an extra 15-20 mins and 5-10 in the am. What I really want to ask is has anyone seen anyone in the holes doing anything yet?

Yes good point. I agree, and haven't seen any progress either but a nice pool is forming where they started digging a while ago. I have to take the bus from East Dulwich to Forest Hill every day and I spend 1 hour on it. Very depressing indeed. what can take so long....surely they realise the chaos it creates? I would not normally moan but i fear the 10 weeks are turning into an ongoing mess.

I wouldn't bet on it being completed in ten weeks. They have been working on Sydenham Road for well over a year now, and each stage has taken at least double the estimated time. Living as I do on Mayow Road, there is pretty much no escape for me - road works and temporary lights in every direction.

I questioned the fact that the number of hours being worked did not seem sufficient for the level of disruption being caused and received this reply:
Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your email.

There are Southern Gas Network (SGN) works currently being undertake at the South Circular j/w Perry Vale. The hours of operation for SGN on these works are between 8.00-8.30 am start and the works finish at 4.30 pm daily.

We anticipate the A205 (south circular) part of the works to finish on 12 October 2010 and we anticipate the rest of the works to be complete by end of the first week in November 2010.

Should you wish to contact SGN regarding these works please contact them on 0845 026 0015 who will be happy to answer any questions regarding the works.

When I walk past at 7:55 each morning there is no sign of any activity about to start.

Hmm, I'm still really curious to find someone who has seen any work being done. My partner who works from home went past during supposed hours of work and all holes were devoid of any kind of activity.

I saw 2 or 3 workers at the Perry Vale site at about 9.30 this morning.

... and still a bit of work going on around 1030. But hardly the sort of intensive activity that one might hope for when a major route is blocked.

Noise inconvenience to local residents is clearly a factor in determining acceptable hours of work, but I would have thought that 6am-10pm might be more appropriate for this sort of job than 8.30am-4.30pm!

Will they be working over the weekend - when traffic is a bit lighter?

For anyone waiting on the 197 to arrive, as we did yesterday for 45 minutes, its occasionally diverted to avoid FH due to the works. so only every 3rd or 4th service comes through FH. Its just a pity that they don't have this notice on bustops so that people can go to stops further up the hill. Its also being diverted in the other direction up Sydenham Hill on the same basis. If you want to catch it going north its best to wait at the stops beyond the Triangle.

I agree that works need to be at reasonable hours but all stops were pulled out for London Road so why not here. Its not acceptable that nothing seems to be happening although I suspect that due to the number of works going on throughout south London they might be a bit stretched with personnel and have to phase the works accordingly.

I no longer anticipate reasonable behaviour from stressed drivers!. There was a stand off here the other day with two drivers going in opposite directions refusing to budge and instead sitting chatting on their mobiles instead of trying to resolve the situation. This held up traffic for about half an hour with lots of reckless turning the car aaround in tight spaces and narrowly missing pedestrians on the pavement.

I wondered why I saw a 197 driving down Sydenham Rise towards Peckham when I was on a 185 on Friday.

   
Cutting from the Mercury, 6th Oct

Should London Road be part-pedestrianised on a more permanent basis?
Apparently Jim Dowd has requested that transport officials consider such proposals.

It could result in some innovative ideas for traffic management. Perhaps Ewelme and Devonshire Roads could be redesignated as a motorway

Has anyone seen any workers actually working on the hole. I have driven past there a good few times in the last week and seen a lot of blokes with hard hats and flourecent jackets all standing around talking but no actual work.