Comments on: Merry Christmas

By: eusebiovic

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:24:58 +0000

I always think that a hospital is a perfect case study for students of architecture…

The whole history of great,average and appalingly bad practice can all be found in the concise environs of a medical estate…

By: Liliana

Liliana — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:48:35 +0000

@monkeycat: meeting went well thank you m’dear — am going through notes at the moment so will be emailing you too actually — if anyone wants to be involved in email discussions about this, drop me a line (info@peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk)

By: John

John — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:59:15 +0000

Two different Johns posting again.

@Julian — the response, judging by the letters printed since the original article, was unanimous opposition to the Society’s position. So some buses that serve routes in other parts of London are based in Camberwell? He provided no figures on how many times they may or may not use the roads in Camberwell (almost certainly very early in the morning and very late at night). Far more lorries and cars pass through Camberwell without stopping — should we redirect them somewhere else? Much better to have more buses and fewer cars on our roads.

By: Monkeycat

Monkeycat — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:24:43 +0000

I am not convinced that the bus stations and their buses really contribute that much to the general congestion. Those that are serving other areas: they come in, they go. However, a lot of buses seem to be on the street picking up and dropping off passengers.

Liliana. How was the meet?

By: John

John — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:18:53 +0000

The Society objected, as did everyone else who wrote — and there were many. The Councillors approved it. And there are too many buses not to have a better strategy and to allow driver changes.

By: Julian

Julian — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:57:44 +0000

@ John. I think your comment may be a bit unfair. As I recall, the Society was not advocating the reduction of bus services. It was complaining about the fact that there are two large bus garages in Camberwell and that, as a result, there are many buses passing through Camberwell which are not carrying passengers. They were expressing the hope that one or other of the garages might be relocated, so that the Camberwell junction might be less congested — therefore allowing those buses which are carrying passengers to make better speed. You may think it was a bit pie-in-the-sky to ask Boris to move a bus garage. But they were certainly not asking for less public transport for the people of Camberwell.

By: John

John — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:58:07 +0000

@NickW — did the Camberwell Society look at the application? Nothing the Society does anymore surprises me … last year they wrote on behalf of the membership (though the membership hadn’t been consulted) complaining that there were too many buses in Camberwell. Needless to say the recipient of the letter — the Mayor — made short of the letter. It’s a crying shame that a Conservation Society wants to take buses off the road leaving more space for cars. Beggars belief.

By: NickW

NickW — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:33:03 +0000

@ Peter. Thanks for that. I know of several residents who wrote to object to this however not enough could be bothered and now we have this to blight the area well beyond our lifespan. It is very depressing. The council and developers should hang their heads in shame and I can not believe the Camberwell Society approved this. It is very very disappointing.

By: Peter

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:51:38 +0000

@NickW — looks like the Springfield Lodge application has been granted: http://cllrpeterjohn.blogspot.com/2010/01/camberwell-planning-meeting.html

By: Mark Dodds

Mark Dodds — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:12:49 +0000

NickW you are right — the staggered red brick terrace on the right of Cutcombe as you walk up toward the hospital from Coldharbour is going.