New Thames crossing options reviewed

A while back, with some help from the Greens, Boris killed the Thames Gateway Bridge - the only fully-developed and costed idea on the table for solving the chronic lack of options for crossing the Thames in the east of London.

But it turns out that we do need a river crossing after all - except now we've had to go back to the drawing board and review a list of options, all of which seem considerably worse than the Gateway Bridge option and would take many more years to see the light of day.

Greenwich.co.uk has a very good summary of the TfL discussion document that sets out the main contenders. The noises coming from the Mayor suggest that he's keenest on the idea of a crossing between the Dome and Silvertown. 853blog has an excellent analysis of why this is a very bad idea - not least because it doesn't create any new crossing points from the south side, funneling traffic via the A102. It's also a more car-centric option than the Gateway Bridge was, which should please the Greens no-end.

Boris unveils new ELL trains

Transport for London today unveiled the first of the 20 new trains that will serve the East London Line when it opens next year.

The trains will be similar in design to the majority of the tube trains serving London, but will be completely walk-through and air-conditioned.

The Mayor said:

“For far too long passengers on our Overground lines have suffered from crumbling unreliable trains that were just not up to muster. Every element on these brand spanking new trains has been crafted to meet the capital’s needs and the standard of design will surprise even the most hardened traveller. Air conditioning, walk through carriages and CCTV, combined with the completion of all the East London Line work by 2012, will revolutionise the London Overground network.”

The new trains will join 34 more, which wlll serve the rest of the London Overground network, that will form an orbital service by 2012, with the further extension of the ELL to Clapham Junction.

London’s Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said:

“By 2011 we will be able to add a fourth carriage, increasing capacity by 50 per cent. As we roll out this new fleet, we will continue our expansion of the line and our station improvements programme, which will make the former service unrecognisable.”

The new trains, which will be three-carriages long, will be able to carry almost 500 people. When Overground platforms are extended in 2011 to cater for trains four-carriages long, the trains will be able to carry almost 700 people each.

Welcome to Dumpsville. Population: You

"Well the Jerk Store called, and they're running out of you."
- George Costanza*

Time Out's Big Smoke Blog is compiling a list of new names for London's emerging agglomerations - or districts - to join the likes of Chinatown and Tin Pan Alley.

With your help, we'd like to propose one for Brockley - but what agglomerations should Brockley be most famous for?

Time Out's already assigned the title of "The Ukulele Quarter" to an area near Brick Lane - a title which Brockley has at least as much claim to, given that it's almost impossible to think of an event or venue in the area that hasn't been graced by the Brockley Ukulele Group.

So what else is there?

The Jerkstore ought to be a leading contender, given the range of Caribbean food options in the area and that Brockley can lay claim to possibly the only jerk bagel specialist store in London.

Studio City could reflect the fact that the area organises not one but two major open studio events every year, not to mention its arts and crafts fairs, community gallery, public art, The Telegraph Hill Festival, Brockley MAX and Hillaballoo.

Or, in honour of Brockley's uniquely-awful double roundabout, perhaps we could become known as Little Milton Keynes.

All contributions welcome - except for the first person to offer up Mungville.

*PS - we know we have used that quote before, but it works on so many levels...

Ladywell CPZ consultation

Cllr Sue Luxton reports that Ladywell residents will shortly receive consultation papers concerning the possible introduction of a controlled parking zone around the station.

She points out that the consultation follows requests from local residents and she comes out in favour of a CPZ for a number of reasons in relation to the area's specific parking problems. She also points out that increased revenues could benefit the borough-wide road maintenance budget:

"The more CPZs we have in the borough, the more revenue in the highways budget to sort out the appalling state of roads in this area. Boroughs such as Camden which is almost entirely CPZ, have significantly more revenue to spend on resurfacing works than Lewisham does."

Ode to a Steak and Kidney Pudding

That is not dead which can eternal lie.
And with strange aeons even death may die
- Abdul Alhazred

We hope you wrote the recipe down, because the steak and kidney pudding gravestone has gone from Harefield Road.

The removal men visited recently and took with them one of Brockley's most curious fixtures - a gravestone in someone's front garden, semi-hidden behind bamboo, with a recipe for steak and kidney pudding engraved on it.

We wouldn't have chosen it for our front garden, but we will miss it greatly.

Building a mystery

So, something is finally happening to the decrepit Wickham Road wall which BC has been moaning about for a good year now. However it appears that in order for re-construction to take place, demolition must first occur. Hence the chaos which has been visited on what was previously a leafy garden ...


These pics were taken a week or so ago, and the situation since then has progressed a bit - concrete foundations have been laid in the trench. Clearly the council's PFI contractor Equipe, which is carrying out the work, values longevity. BC has contacted Equipe to ask them for more detail on their plans, and will keep you posted if we hear back from them.

BrocSoc meeting, July 14th

The Brockley Society is meeting on Tuesday and you are cordially invited to attend. Kate writes:

The next Brockley Society meeting is on Tuesday 14 July at 8.00 at the Brockley Social Club, corner of Brockley and Foxberry rds, behind the big hedge, ring the bell and say you're here for the Brockley Society meeting and they'll let you in.

Everyone who lives in the conservation area is automatically a member and anyone who lives anywhere in SE4 is very welcome to come along too. This is your opportunity to discuss things that you think need to be done in Brockley and to meet like minded people who might want to join you in starting a campaign to make a change. Recent projects discussed have included transition towns, tree felling on railway lines, use of mews properities and community campaigns against inappropriate developments. Come along and get involved.