35 replies to this topic

[jerry]

There are major roadworks going on in Westow Street between Sainsbury's and the Post Office / Blackbird bakery.
I'm aware this would normally go under 'Travel problems' BUT drivers and pedestrians need to be aware that:

There is NO right turn from Church Road into Westow Street

There is a slightly confusing 'Road Closed' sign on Church Road just past its junction with Fox Hill BUT if you carry on you are able to turn left and then left again into Coxwell Road down to the Secret Garden and Sainsbury's car park

PEDESTRIANS should also be aware there is a two-way working on the OTHER side of the road works (i.e Haynes Lane, Carberry Road etc so please remember to LOOK BOTH WAYS.

[Hermit]

Just got back from the triangle. Blooming big hole that they have dug up! Can't see them sorting that one in a hurry.
Quite sedate on Westow Street with no traffic, makes me think again that it would be nice if that road was pedestrianised with all the cafes and restaurants tables spilling onto the pavement (starts up that old debate again......)
Will be interesting to see the sainsburys lorry negotiating a right turn at the Sparrowhawk for its nightly delivery.

[FitzRoy]

Blimey ! Just got back driving down Church Rd - Sylvan Hill , road closed signs down by All Saints school . Half the traffic doing u-turns blocking both sides its a mess and confusing having closed signs this far down . Noticed they waited til after 9am and the Brazil team coaches had left the Queens hotel before they put signs up and closed Westow St .

[Summit Lover]

We are just back from a meal at Urban Orient and had a perfect view of the mayhem caused by scores of drivers blithely ignoring the road closed signs and carrying on regardless into Westow St - only to grind to a halt like the halfwits they are and then have to execute several point turns to exit. Frustration and chaos reigned with witless idiots running red lights every few seconds and some even driving the wrong way up the bit of road that curves around the White Hart.

The huge Sainsburys Lorry clearly hadn't got the message as it tried to drive down Westow St and came to a halt parked sideways across the road in front of the track leading down to Sainsburys carpark - if he backs up from where he is he will bring the scaffolding down on the old Georgian Dining Rooms, probably leading to the building collapsing.

You couldn't make it up!

[kibitzer]

I understand that we have got this for five days - let's see. Very eery and quiet in Westow Street around 10am yesterday - wouldnt like to have a business there at present as not much in passing trade only those looking to see what is going on.

[vickyp]

In case you miss it on the travel thread, it's disrupting the buses:


417 and 432 are diverted northbound (towards brixton/clapham) along Church Rd, Beulah Hill and Hermitage Rd,
450 towards West Croydon diverted along church rd and Beulah hill, missing out the Central Hill, Hermitage Rd loop,
249 goes down Crown Dale/Central Hill going towards Anerley

[FitzRoy]

Took the dogs for walk along Westow St to get a brekkie from Blackbird - only person in there . Went into Post Office , same . Even Sainsburys looked strangely quiet for 0830 . Must be very annoying for residents in earshot as the amount of cars beeping horns seemed pretty constant . Chaps in high vis "working" / drinking coffee suggested that Saturday pm / Sunday seemed more likely as re-opening date however they were enjoying the amount of people asking them questions. Surveyors due around lunchtime ! The triangle is never boring .

[JMH]

Is it still possible to drive to Sainsbury's carpark from the Fox Hill side of Church Road?

[charlie]

Is it still possible to drive to Sainsbury's carpark from the Fox Hill side of Church Road?

Use it is JMH, but saw a big jam earlier today because many of the drivers who went through the ROAD CLOSED sign were trying to drive through Westow Street ( to get elsewhere on the road network) and doing dodgy manoeuvres to get back onto Church Road.

Edited by charlie, 14 August 2012 - 07:40 PM.

[Heather]

I own fortyseven on Westow street and despite my intial concerns this morning regarding trade being disturbed by the road closure I have to say it was a very pleasant day without the traffic thundering past outside. Trade was not affected, in fact it was buoyant, and we discussed how good it would be if they pedestrianised Westow Street at weekends.

[charlie]

I own fortyseven on Westow street and despite my intial concerns this morning regarding trade being disturbed by the road closure I have to say it was a very pleasant day without the traffic thundering past outside. Trade was not affected, in fact it was buoyant, and we discussed how good it would be if they pedestrianised Westow Street at weekends.

Well that is very interesting Heather, because one of the questions I was going to pose to Comrade Bookseller, who is usually my book benchmark, was about the impact on trade. There have been various discussions recently between those of us (residents) interested in Regeneration and Planning matters in the Triangle about setting up a Neighbourhood forum to bring forward a Neighbourhood Plan. One of the things we are keen to properly explore is the introduction of "Shared Space" into the Triangle and linkages into the park. I like the idea of pedestrianisation and perhaps buses only at the weekends, so would welcome your thoughts and those of other traders. Implementation though, if the idea was welcomed, as we have seen from professional observations on other threads could be very difficult in terms of highways and would need a full feasibility study.

Edited by charlie, 14 August 2012 - 09:24 PM.

[kibitzer]

Where would the diverted traffic etc go? Down residential roads as diversion? I think that if pedestrianisation was considered as an option then the whole of the area businesses as well as residential need to be consulted. In the past there were many businesses complaining about one way - nowhere to park and having to drive round the triangle to find a parking spot, triangle pedistrianisation was considered many moons ago but it was felt that there was nowhere for through traffic to be permanently diverted to and would cause too many snarl ups elsewhere. I wonder what the Council could come up with now? The car park at Sainsburys would still have to be in situ for shoppers and visitors to the area.

[Heather]

I'd be happy to discuss it Charlie

[Maz]

Yes it would be nice to pedestrianise Westow Street.

And it would be nice if I could play the flute and if there was world peace. But just as there are good reasons why these two won't happen, there are also very good reasons why closing Westow Street to traffic would be a disastrous idea.

These reasons would largely disappear of course if the Triangle was not a one way system.

[zgaze]

The road is back open now, that has to be one of the quickest and most efficient set of roadworks completed ever!