Camberwell centre to become 20MPH zone

As part of TfL’s plan to improve cycle safety they proposed a 20MPH limit through the centre of Camberwell, which has now apparently been approved. It covers the area between Benhill Road and Medlar Street, along Church Street and New Road, and will take effect from this Friday, 21st March.

Southwark Council have plans to extend this limit throughout the whole borough in the future.

Author: Peter

Long-time resident of Camberwell, author of this blog since July 2004.

25 thoughts on “Camberwell centre to become 20MPH zone”

  1. But of course the major roads in the boroughs are controlled by TfL so Boris needs to get his act together to make these all 20mph

  2. Not difficult to exceed 20 mph on a bicycle, of course. And very easy downhill. Will cyclists be included in this?

    No chance of getting through that junction over 20mph in a car, so WTF. But — 20mph borough-wide all times? Even at 11pm on clearish roads in the bus and with not a cyclist in sight. Even on quite major and important arterial roads, some with low traffic. Usual dumbshit overkill from the jobsworths at the council. Gives them something to do, I guess. Just make it 10mph lads, that’s even safer, right?

    I’ve been commuting on two wheels a lot cos Southern Railways provide such a shit, packed, unreliable, worthless service. Mostly on the motorbike, sometimes on the bicycle. The most clueless, unaware, inconsiderate road users are definitely cyclists. Lots aren’t of course, absolutely, but Jesus so many are.

    Anyway, what did I come here for again? Ah yes, special Phil G comeback to welcome our new restaurant on the site of a few doomed Indians. Now I was hoping for something a bit more Edgware Road that would really square up to Falafel so’s I wouldn’t have to see that miserable woman at the counter there again. Alas no.

    BUT — can I say that the staff are really nice and the meal deal for lunch is WELL worth it and that I enjoyed it. Not a big menu and the decor is still a bit odd so will it survive into evening demand? Not so sure. These guys need to cheapen it up and speed it up and get those wraps out. Nice place. Pleased.

  3. Welcome back, Phil G. Place hasn’t been the same without you.

    I presume you’re talking about the place in the hotel, opposite the Flying Fish? Wasn’t open last time I went past. So it’s another falafel/shawarma place?

  4. I dunno who designed the interior at the new lebanese grill place but seriously?

    They gutted it before the refurb and could’ve done some great things. Instead it looks a bit like a hotel toilet. With tables.

    Juice bar looks enticing though.

  5. Dare one ask who is going to police the speed limit? And will it apply to cyclists as well?

  6. I don’t know about the TfL rules, but the wording of the Southwark Council traffic order does suggests that it will cover bicycles because it refers to “vehicles” not “motor vehicles”:

    “No person shall cause or permit any vehicle to proceed at a speed in excess of 20 miles per hour in any road, street or part thereof as lies within the London Borough of Southwark.”

    Typically in the UK only motor vehicles are covered by speed limits. The relevant legislation (Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 sections 81 & 89) specifically refers to “motor vehicles”.

    Therefore, it might be a good idea if people object asking for this wording to be changed on the basis that:

    1) including cyclists in Southwark’s traffic order when they are excluded form the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (sections 81 & 89) is likely to lead to confusion

    2) it is unreasonable to expect cyclists to know their speed accurately.

    “Persons wishing to object to or make representations in respect of the proposal should send a statement in writing stating the grounds of their objection or representation by e‑mail to traffic.​orders@​southwark.​gov.​uk, quoting reference PRP/PD/TMO1314-034, to be received no later than 20 March 2014.”

  7. To qualify my comments a little. I should add many scooter riders and minicab drivers into the thoughtless category.

    20mph all round just seems OTT to me. Remember many residential areas are 20mph anyway, and rightly so.

    Tonight I tried riding back at 20mph on some clear 30mph stretches. What a difference, really. Really quite difficult to do and felt very slow. And I don’t think it’ll help safety that much.

    On the latter it probably helps to sort lorries, junctions and also just get more cyclists to improve their road awareness.

    I’d write to the council but they truly don’t give a f–k.

  8. Thanks Peter, nice to see you too! It’s good to be back, albeit briefly, to break my self-imposed exile alone with Polish lagers (Zubr is worth a go) and pork scratchings.

    Yes, it is the New Dome restaurant. St Giles is dead right that they have missed an opportunity with the decor. It isn’t good.

    It is a strange offer as it is neither a restaurant like Mangal, nor a bab house proper nor a wrap place like Falafel. I was hoping it’d be a proper Middle Eastern restaurant, but it’s not really got the range. The menu is quite simple and feels small but I didn’t really get into it.

    Lunch special £6.50. Three kinds of meat — chicken, lamb shish, kofte — rice, bit of wrap, few sides and salad and, probably the best bit, juice of your choice.

    Being hungover probably made it seem better than it was. You’d get more for your money at Golden Grill but this was nicely done and not overbearing. The meats were good, as was the juice.

    I can’t imagine going there for dinner but may give it a go.

    Bolu is being redone, so soon we’ll have kebab / grill wars, though I guess we lost Tadim (don’t miss it). Golden Grill is still nice value and good, for a budget meal. Remember also you can get wraps from Mangal. But really someone needs to take Falafel on properly.

  9. .… haven’t tried the food but the juice is excellent. As for the decor, I suspect it’s fairly authentically Lebanese — he just hasn’t let the art students loose on it yet.

    Anyone know what’s happening to Jono’s?

  10. Just found the answer:
    Demolition of the existing snooker hall and the mixed use redevelopment of the site to involve the erection of a five-storey development with basement level to include a new snooker hall (D2 Community Use) 698 sqm, retail use (A1 Shop) 374 sqm, 31 residential units (6 x 1 bed, 19 x 2 bed & 6 x 3 bed),

  11. Nice Fay Maschler review of Camberwell Arms in tonight’s “Standard”, four stars.

    The Bolu “since 1975” was a Camberwell legend. Its back room restaurant was one of the best hangouts here. I wonder what’s happened to George and the boys.

    Class 92 Mozart (92005) pulled a Channel Tunnel train of goods trucks through the parish last week. One of the wagons — low enough to pass through the Tunnel — was sprayed by a graffiti monkey with the slogan, “YES WE CAN” with the E’s extended laterally.

    Yes we can embrace change. It’s just that at the Camberwell Arms, you won’t have much change out of a hundred quid to embrace after a night out there, unlike the good old Bolu, with its excellent home cooking by George and the boys.

  12. £100 a pop should keep the students out… or maybe not, higher education in the arts is becoming a rich person’s sport.

    The magnolias across South London have put on another stunning display. They crop up all over the place, but the best of them are at the top of Denmark Hill. Strange to think their season is almost over before spring has really begun.

    20mph through Camberwell is ambitious, even on a bike.

  13. True, Gabe, last time anyone went through Camberwell at 20mph was with a horse and cart.

    And indeed, art students seem to lack the edge that came with pennilessness and humility of background.

    Now, round every corner, hoves to a highly groomed, trim, chipper, hipster destined to be employed to edit other people i.e. sack ’em.

  14. All the artist’s impression lacks is a load of lacquer-coiffed hipsters, with haircuts like 1950s spaceships, fairground helter-skelters and finned Chevrolets, sashaying past gazing through their horn-rimmed spectacles at the vestigial single-crutch-clutching natives on their way to taking the waters at the ancient cripples’ well.

    Jono’s, the Buckle, the Bolu, they may have been worn with use, but that’s what we were used to.

    All this progress — where will it end?

  15. …with ever more ridiculously inflated property prices; the outsourcing of the creative energy that made London an interesting place to be — and Starbucks. Possibly a uniqlo too.

  16. Life is strange. I was walking past Denmark Hill station on the way to cull a few squirrels in Ruskin Park for tea when an old hippie rock’n’roll type lurched up to me and thrust some lined notepaper in my hand with the following on it. “Key of C,” he rebel-yelled, before taking his bald head and grey ponytail — never a good look — towards the House of Bacchus offie at the bottom of Coldharbour Lane. I unscrunched the piece of paper and read:

    NICE PLACE

    Suburbs like
    Streatham are
    fantasy

    half town
    half country
    half Disney

    weird turrets
    bright brick like
    gingerbread

    psychedelic
    street names like
    Sunnyhill Road

    and Leaf Grove
    where are we?
    this is where

    we can be
    whoever
    we want to be

    we have paid
    our way made
    our own space

    earned our
    right to be
    in this place

    but each night
    we fly we
    know not where.

  17. Mushtimate, we ARE the revolution.

    What a fab line-up, Eilean. The Dutchman! What a wonderful venue for “Blue…” What a warm, intimate intersection of location and sentiment.

  18. Hello lovely people of Camberwell.

    CAMBERWELL ARTS FESTIVAL NEEDS YOU!

    From Saturday 14th until Sunday 22nd June, the festival draws together some of the best talent in the area, celebrating the visual arts, music, cinema, performance and design. It’s our 20th year, so this year The number twenty is our inspiration and what that might mean to Camberwell.

    We’re now getting to close to finalising our own programme but as ever, aim to make this festival a celebration of everything going on in the area. As part of the festival we’ll be producing a programme both online and in print. We’d love to involve as many activities as we can and need your help!

    We break this down into four key areas:

    Open Call: Fringe Events
    If you’re an artist, maker, performer, clown, comedian, gardener, designer (etc) and would like to submit an idea we’d love to hear from you and get you listed. Sadly we’re unable to provide a budget but if you have your own location and permission for a piece of work, please let us know and we’ll help bring the crowd with some promotional support.

    Lucky Dip
    An open entry exhibition that takes place out in the open! 20 short listed artists will be allocated a street, park or public building in Camberwell through a lucky dip process. They will receive a budget of £100 to create an artwork specifically for that location in order to compete for the 4th Camberwell Open Prize.

    Artists’ Studios
    If you run or own a studio in the area and would like to open your doors to the public during the festival, please get in contact

    Festival Events
    If you’re already running a festival, exhibition or workshop in the area during the festival and would like it listed in the festival programme we’d love to hear from you.

    The deadline for submitting your events or work is Sunday 20th April. After this date we’ll be producing the programme and going to print. To submit your events or work, please email us detailing which category you fall into by putting it in the subject line camberwellcallout2014@​gmail.​com

    Don’t forget to include your web addresses, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.

    Also, if you have any photos, old memories or mementos of festival gone past please do send them through to us so we can start to build a library.

    In the meantime, please do spread the word and you can follow us at…
    @CamberwellArts
    http://www.facebook.com/camberwellartsfestival
    …see you in June!

    Thanks so much
    Mrs PBTT

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