Have your say on the future of Brockley Cross

The Brockley Cross Action Group is organising a meeting to discuss the Council's proposals to improve Brockley Cross. Rupert writes:

Some of you who live close to Brockley Cross will have received a consultation questionnaire from Lewisham Council re proposed improvements to the Brockley Cross junction, with its infamous double roundabout. The deadline for receipt of feedback is this FRIDAY 14th JANUARY.

Brockley Cross is at the core of the Brockley Cross Action Group’s aims in terms of local environmental improvements (the clue is in our name!). Back in 2002 BXAG initiated the Brockley Cross Urban Design project, in partnership with design consultants and Lewisham Council. This was a study of the whole of the Brockley Cross junction area, including all of the feeder roads, which culminated in a masterplan and a series of feasibility options for improvements to the road layout and pavements. The exercise was subject to extensive consultation with local people. The proposals were presented to the Council for their consideration in the hope that they would be integrated into local development plans for Brockley.

Since 2002 no significant improvements have been undertaken at Brockley Cross, which remains a noisy, busy transport node. It is not regarded as very pedestrian friendly and the impression is one of complete neglect.

The Council's current proposals are the first attempt at improvements since the masterplanning exercise. Any improvements are to be welcomed in principle but they also raise some fundamental questions about the Council's priorities and their strategic approach to road and pavement inprovements in Brockley.

More specifically we need to assess their proposals in terms of pedestrian improvements. Will the Council's improvements benefit local people and make Brockley Cross safer for pedestrians? The first impression is that the proposals are largely cosmetic and are for the benefit of traffic. How do the proposals relate to the original Masterplan - have any elements of the 2002 exercise been taken into account? The Council have not been in touch with BXAG about their project so it looks like the Masterplan may have been overlooked when the proposals were drawn up. What about other local improvements such as the pavements in front of the shops on Brockley Road, which we have long campaigned for?

In response to the Council's proposals we have arranged an urgent public meeting for 7.15pm on Wednesday 12th JANUARY at the BROCA FOOD MARKET, MANTLE ROAD. This meeting will be an opportunity for us to discuss the proposed improvements and to put together an agreed BXAG response to the Council. Once everyone is present we will most likely do a quick walkabout around BC, probably at 7.45ish.

I would urge everyone who has received a questionnaire to submit an individual response with their own views. But I do think it is vital that BXAG put together a formal response also. This is an important opportunity to see some much needed improvements at BC, but it is vital that the Council gets it right and includes some pedestrian-friendly improvements as well. This is our chance as the Council says to "have our say".