Forest Hill Street Clutter study

Transcription

1 1 Local Fund and Street Clutter London Borough of Lewisham Forest Hill Street Clutter study Colin Davis Associates Traffic and Urban Design consultants January

2 2 Key Page 1. Introduction and historic context 3 2. Pavements 5 3. Traffic signs and signals 8 4. Lamp columns Bollards and street name signs Bins and litter Housing estate signs and railings 14 OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE PLACES & SPACES Station forecourt Main traffic junction Wetherspoon s forecourt Old Post Office forecourt Heron House forecourt West side of Dartmouth Road Conclusions and recommendations 26

3 3 1. Introduction and historic context Left on its own, street clutter continually increases, until it almost blots out cherished views and vistas. The reason is straightforward and applies across the country. Whereas new buildings can only be put up after a rigorous planning system has considered all the technical and visual aspects of a proposal, signs and street equipment can be put in place with little or no consideration of their wider visual impact. In addition there are very many agencies, that is service providers, with their own remit, budget and timetable that are legally entitled to put their signs and equipment on the roads and pavements. Some service providers are within the Borough Council- street lighting, highway maintenance, etc. some are within Transport for London London buses, strategic highways, etc. some are utility companies water, gas and electricity. The result is that nearly every sign and piece of equipment that makes up clutter has a legitimate purpose and its existence can be vigorously defended. However, in other places, there are examples of how nearly every category of sign and equipment that is seen at Forest Hill, can be removed entirely, made smaller and neater or be carefully coordinated with other equipment. The study area that we were asked to look at includes London Road from the junction with Dartmouth Road to 58 London Road (just west of Sainsbury s), along Dartmouth Road as far as the old Baths and the South Circular road form the junction with London Road, along Devonshire Road and Waldram Crescent as far as the railway bridge just north of the station. This study puts forward ways to reduce street clutter and also considers ways in which clutter can be reduced in the future. Finally, as it is helpful to look again at the total scene, we suggest that there are at least six places in the study area that could be considered for longer term improvements, such as the station forecourt and other public spaces or potential public spaces. On the matter of cost, many authorities have found that by reducing clutter they can also reduce their ongoing maintenance costs. To start, on the following page, we look at some of the very positive features that can be found in the street and which remind us of Forest Hill s past.

4 4 Reminders of the past Forest Hill 1865 Images of the former canal cut into the brick mural, Devonshire Road Forest Hill 1914 Bollard at the station, remnants of the canal side and an Edwardian shop There are several reminders and remnants of the history of the area.

5 5 2. Pavements Good quality traditional large concrete slab pavement, London Road Good condition small concrete block pavement, Waldram Crescent. But it is not a traditional London pavement surface Good condition black-top in Dartmouth Road. It is a clean and safe surface, often used in London.

6 6 Small sized concrete slab paving, in odd patterns and badly damaged, mostly in Dartmouth Road at the shops where a good quality surface would be appreciated

7 7 Pavements in need of attention as a first priority are at the shops along the east side of Dartmouth Road and at the shops on the west side, towards the junction with London Road.

8 8 3. Traffic signs & traffic signals and guard railings London Road at Sainsbury s Neater versions of traffic signals are available. Most of the guard railings are not necessary. There is no evidence that they serve a road safety function. They should be removed. Much of the traffic related clutter is at the main junction of London Road and Dartmouth Road. It is considered further on page 20.

9 9 These traffic direction signs are too large and too complicated for drivers to easily understand. They could be simplified. This warning sign in Devonshire Road seems over-elaborate. The keep right signs are not required by law and so could be removed.

10 3. Lamp columns, bus stops & bus shelters and CCTV cameras 10 Most of the lamp columns are littered with signs, banners, brackets and wires. The signs and banners become untidy. All but the essential traffic signs should be removed. The lamp columns should be well maintained and painted. CCTV cameras on large heavy bases are unnecessary. Where cameras are needed, they should be fixed neatly to buildings and other structures, with their control boxes and cables kept out of sight

11 11 Bus shelters are essential but can be used to combine other useful equipment, including the bus stop sign and direction signs to other bus stops.

12 12 5. Bollards and street name signs The bollards on the south side of London Road were probably put in place to prevent parking on the pavement. In fact they permanently reduce the width of the pavement and so should be removed. If necessary the pavement could be strengthened to prevent damage by heavy vehicles The bollards on the east side of Dartmouth Road are in a group of three. This is because the central bollard houses water meter equipment for the water company and the two adjacent concrete bollards are to prevent it being damaged. The water equipment should be positioned elsewhere and all three bollards removed. It is doubtful if the cycle racks should be left in place on such a narrow pavement. Two concrete posts have been left in position when the street name sign was rep aced

13 13 6. Bins and litter Domestic waste bins at Devonshire Road and Waldram Crescent, seem to be permanently on the pavement. Commercial waste bins near the station. Arrangements should be made for them to be stored out of sight. There is very little litter on the pavements. However it accumulates in planters. This is at the forecourt of the Heron House, 18 Dartmouth Road.

14 14 7. Housing estate signs and railings Minor maintenance is important

15 15 OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE SPACES A programme to remove street clutter will greatly improve the image of Forest Hill. However there are areas where the amount of clutter is very evident and where there are opportunities to put in place more long term focussed proposals. The notes on the following pages identify the spaces that could be significantly improved. LONDON ROAD STATION 8. Station forecourt 9. Main traffic junction 10. Wetherspoon s forecourt 11. Old Post Office forecourt 12. Heron House forecourt 13. West side of Dartmouth Road DARTMOUTH ROAD

16 16 8. Station forecourt There is a complicated collection of signs. Each has been put up to serve a practical purpose, though as here are so many, few if any are capable of being read and understood. They should all be removed, together with their posts.

17 17 Within the station forecourt the planters and bollards could be removed

18 18 Cycle shed on previous parking bays with uncoordinated bollard and post The service yard is in full view of people walking through the subway: a damaged wall, chained up gates, damaged sign, waste bins in three colours

19 19 CAR PARK STATION In the short term, virtually all the signs and their posts could be removed. Even the signs pointing to the station are lost in the general clutter. In the longer term, a scheme to remove the car parking to the adjacent car park should be considered, so that the whole of the station forecourt could be made available for pedestrians

20 20 9. Main traffic junction. London Road and Dartmouth Road Much of the clutter is caused by the complex arrangement for pedestrians to cross each arm of the junction in two stages. A simplified arrangement of straight across crossings would eliminate most of the clutter

21 21 Much of the clutter could be removed if the crossings were redesigned to allow people to cross straight across the road in a single stage without having to wait in the middle. A new straight across crossing at Walworth Road, Southwark, has made life more comfortable for pedestrians. A new and less cluttered crossing at Clapham High Street on the South Circular Road, Lambeth has no guard railings.

22 22 10 Wetherspoon s forecourt This space has the potential to be made into an informal town square. The building has real character and is a landmark at Forest Hill. The pavement is wide and should be kept clear of permanent signs and equipment. Clearing the pavement immediately in front of the building will help to emphasise a sense of place at Forest Hill.

23 Old Post Office forecourt This is one of a series of spaces along the west side of Dartmouth Road that has potential for improvement. It could be cleared of bollards and be treated and adopted as a widening of the public pavement, or a public town square.

24 Heron House forecourt The second space along the west side of Dartmouth Road is outside Heron House. Again it could be adopted as a public space.

25 West side of Dartmouth Road The third potential space is along the west side of Dartmouth Road. Here the railings could be replaced with a low retaining boundary wall, set back so that the public footway is twice the width.

26 Conclusions and recommendations 1. A clutter buster programme. We have identified the categories and general locations of all the clutter that could be removed. Each individual item falls within a specific category and has been put in place to answer a perceived need. It cannot therefore be removed without the agreement of the agency which erected it and which is nominally responsible for it. However several local councils have in place a rolling programme whereby agreed schedules are produced for the removal or relocation of signs and equipment. These are then passed to teams who go out and physically remove the clutter. This study should help that process begin. The clutterbuster programme at the City of Nottingham 2. Future coordination. Clutter continually increases. New signs and equipment are always being put in place by a large number of agencies. A clutter busting programme will only reduce clutter for quite a short time, unless new procedures are adopted. To address the problem more permanently, all signs and equipment to be installed on the public highway, roads and pavements, including those which are the responsibility of Transport for London as well as the utility companies, should be subject to sensible coordination by a single person or section within the Borough Council. To make this an achievable task, a start should be made with respect to the main roads, in this case London Road, Dartmouth Road and Devonshire Road. 3. Longer term improvements Plans for longer term coordinated proposals to discourage future clutter and make the most of potential public spaces should be put in place at the: Station forecourt Main traffic junction Wetherspoon s forecourt Old Post Office forecourt Heron forecourt West side of Dartmouth Road.