Lambeth and Southwark have been busy during these troubled times working on ways – depending on where you stand on the issue – to drive residents to distraction or to give them a better world of calmer streets. Views are polarised. You need look no further than the views about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods on BrixtonBuzz. And this presents a quandary to a group such as the Herne Hill Society. Should we take a position, and if so what position? Should we be canvassing members to find out exactly where they stand on local traffic issues? Assuming there were a majority for one position, does it necessarily follow that the Society should therefore come out campaigning for that position?
The numbers of those for and those against might be very close. There will almost certainly be a significant number who either have no opinion, or none they wish to make public, or who do not want to see the Society taking a campaigning stance, particularly on such a divisive issue. And, in our view, we would also need to look at Herne Hill more broadly, because it is a place not wholly inhabited by members of the Society.
Some will say, "You should get off the fence" – but that assumes there is a “right” side to step down onto. We are not persuaded that there is a right side, or at least not one that this Society should be supporting or promoting. The inherent nature of the traffic issue is that it often affects the residents of one street very differently from those of another. It is calm and lower carbon emissions for some, and chaos and carbon overload for others. Residents of those streets can and do get together and promote their views. Local councillors have to listen and in turn our local authorities have to balance the multiple arguments in making policy.
We think our Society works best when it plays to its strengths; and a particular strength, through its long-running Magazine (150 issues and still going strong!), is its ability to reflect, illuminate and report on issues and events in our area, great and small, present and past. So through whatever constraints, obstacles or diversions might be placed in the road we will do our best to follow that course.
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