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Road closures in Forest Hill
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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #41
07-12-2010 12:42 PM

There is one improvement on last year in that the council are depositing little heaps of grit on the pavement at strategic places so people can go get a shovelful and spread it where it's needed. Have seen several of these heaps around Perry Vale and Mayow Road. Either the road cleaners or enterprising citizens can use them where needed. Gritting the pavements is labour intensive for the council, but it only takes a few minutes for people in the immediate area to grit where is needed. It would be a good idea if the council told people they can use this grit (I am assuming they can).

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Charlie Croker


Posts: 1
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #42
07-12-2010 01:53 PM

The conditions of the pavements on Westwood Park and Manor Mount (and doubtless other steep hills) remain atrocious and a serious health & safety issue, particularly where WWP curves around to meet Honor Oak Road (which even in rain can be dangerously slippery).

The pavements were covered in snow which has turned to ice which combined with the steep inclines means that short of being equipped for trekking in the Alps the only alternative is to walk on the road (which themselves are still fairly icy) and dodge traffic.

I, and many others, need to negotiate these roads to travel to work, shops etc. (I don't have a car so don't have the option of driving to the station, and probably wouldn't anyway if I did).

Councillors, can anything be done to remedy this?

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robin orton


Posts: 716
Joined: Feb 2009
Post: #43
08-12-2010 09:25 AM

I wonder whether when all this is over the council will do any formal review of how they coped and whether there are any lessons to be learnt for the future? If so, I wonder whether they will seek the views of the public?

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alexfeakes


Posts: 28
Joined: Jun 2006
Post: #44
08-12-2010 10:15 AM

@charliecroker - I'm passing on requests for pavements to be gritted / cleared as I hear about them, so I'll see what they can do about that bit of Westwood Park. If anyone else notices a pavement section that needs attention, then please email me at cllr_alex.feakes@lewisham.gov.uk rather than post on here as I check my email much more frequently.

@robinorton - I believe there will be a review of performance during the snow & ice shortly; if you have comments you would like to contribute then please email me at the above address and I will pass them on.

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #45
08-12-2010 05:15 PM

Alex,

I think we need more than a performance review to be honest- we need identify the areas which are likely to be icy during bad conditions and we need a winter strategy for the Forest Hill area as well as hilly areas such as Brockley View and Telegraph Hill in the rest of the borough. I can't really see the point of individuals informing you of icy stretches- it should surely be a matter of record enabling prompt and targetted treatment.

I would also like to know more about the Councils gritting budget, how decisions are made, and any scope for community assistance. Can we not have dropped off grit to put on the pavements ourselves.

Taking back what I said earlier in self interest- the bottom half of Ewelme Road is very bad on the corner with Woodcombe Crescent as this seems to take forever to thaw out.

best wishes

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seeformiles


Posts: 269
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #46
08-12-2010 10:13 PM

I've not enjoyed dodging traffic on Taymount Rise. Even when the road was closed there were idiots speeding up there.

Car drivers, please take more care (futile to ask this, I know). A lot of pedestrians have no choice but to walk in the road when the pavements are so bad...please slow down a bit.

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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #47
08-12-2010 10:19 PM

Drivers should be driving more cautiously in any case - you never know when you might hit a frost pocket where the road is still icy. I have also got accostomed to driving very careful up hill - not because of the ice but because several times I have crested the hill to find myself bonnet to nose with a pedestrian striding right down the middle of the road. So yes, let's ALL share the carriageway responsibly.

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seeformiles


Posts: 269
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #48
08-12-2010 10:27 PM

I should have said *some*car drivers, not all. Yes I'm sure there are some pedestrians who are striding up the middle of the road, but personally I keep as close to the kerb as I can (allowing for double parked cars). I'd never walk down the middle.

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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #49
08-12-2010 10:30 PM

Not all are as sensible as you, seeformiles.

I've been leaving my car at home and walking a lot this past week and try to stick to the golden rule when walking on the road - always face the oncoming traffic. Not always possible, but still the safest way to do it.

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seeformiles


Posts: 269
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #50
08-12-2010 10:32 PM

Yeah me too - plus I do a lot of walking in the countryside and always stick to that rule. Anyway just hope the pavements get gritted more regularly in future, 'cos looks like more snow is forecast in the coming weeks.

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dipsolala


Posts: 69
Joined: May 2008
Post: #51
08-12-2010 11:17 PM

i do use the roads for walking down when the pavements are still icy, even today. But often the road is only non-iced where the wheel tracks are, or if a narrow road, in the middle for some reason. The roads, next to parked cars or the kerb, are still iced. So yes be resonable but also logical.

Most times when i have done this car drivers have been very understanding and courteous, good for me and even better for those less able to swerve at speed to the still icy bits Smile

We're all going somewhere

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oryx


Posts: 205
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #52
09-12-2010 12:15 AM

Though flatter than some of the really steep roads like Canonbie, Stillness Road has been really awful, bearing in mind it's a well-used pedestrian route to the station and some of the local primary schools.

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kingkong


Posts: 61
Joined: Oct 2006
Post: #53
09-12-2010 10:19 AM

yep, it really is pretty bad - the pavement on the side of the road that i live on is still like an ice rink in some areas. i had some groceries delivered yesterday evening and the delivery guy almost went head over heels. Fortunately none of my eggs were broken.

KK

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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #54
09-12-2010 11:53 AM

With the milder winters we had in the past, any snow we got disappeared pretty quickly so it never seemed worth clearing snow ourselves. But in the past few years we have had snow followed by prolonged freezing conditions. When the snow gets walked down and re-freezes, that's when we get all this ice.

Can I make a plea to all able bodied SE23 residents - if there is snow and there is no thaw forecast, please get a shovel and clear a path on the pavement outside your property. It doesn't have to be the whole pavement, just enough to make an ice-free walkway. Once you've cleared it, sprinkle the area with table salt. This will stop further ice forming.

This is what people always did in the past. The idea that you will get sued if someone hurts themselves outside your property is a MYTH for the following reasons:
1. People are much less likely to get hurt where snow has been cleared.
2. There is no point in suing private individuals for such liability, unless that private individual is very, very rich. The plaintiff also needs some cash in the bank, as they won't get Legal Aid for bringing such a case.
3. A representative from the Law Society has said that no solicitor would take on such a case, and the idea is all just media bruhaha.

This also applies to shops, doctors' surgeries, schools, etc. Clear the snow where you can.

I'll be out there with my shovel the next time we get snow, and I urge all others who are able to do the same. Thirty minutes work will save weeks of slipping and sliding.

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mojito


Posts: 4
Joined: Apr 2008
Post: #55
09-12-2010 02:52 PM

I completely agree, and we did this last week (twice!). It doesn't take long but it makes such a difference. They do it all the time in places where snow is common, such as Canada and Switzerland.

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robin orton


Posts: 716
Joined: Feb 2009
Post: #56
14-12-2010 10:44 AM

I have just sent an email to Alex Feakes in response to his invitation to provide input into the council's upcoming review into how they have dealt with the snow and the ice. I have suggested, amongst other things, that the gist of 'rhsdunlop's' excellent posting above should be formally endorsed by the council on their website.

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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #57
14-12-2010 11:58 AM

Thank you, Robin, what an excellent idea. I am sure more people would do their bit as long as they knew it was okay to do so.

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #58
14-12-2010 01:27 PM

Indeed but with more snowfall predicted for London this coming weekend and potentially all over the Xmas period they need to get a bit of a move on. I would still like to know about the winter strategy for this area as I think there needs to be one. If Alex, Philip or Anne would like to comment on that then it would be appreciated.

I met a local councillor this morning who was injured due to falling over on ice and doing fairly serious damage to himself. I doubt whether he is/was alone. With the need for people to still get basic provisions in I would strongly suggest that the Council is lobbied now to grit pavements as well as roads and for everyone to get as prepared as possible. If that means buying crampons to fit over shoes, then that should also be considered; they are no longer a joke but a necessity!

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andrewr


Posts: 296
Joined: May 2006
Post: #59
17-03-2011 03:59 PM

Those calling for a review of the Council's performance during the winter snow may like to know that interested parties, including Cllr Alex Feakes, are tomorrow meeting with Malcolm Smith, Lewisham's Executive Director of Regeneration whose responsibilities include transport and planning. I'll post the outcome...

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