The Herne Hill Society blog

Calm or chaos? The traffic issue

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.

Loughborough Junction – Higgs Triangle Development rejected by Lambeth

Although outside what could be considered as Herne Hill, the proposal for a major development  at the so-called Higgs Triangle at Loughborough Junction is very much on its borders and therefore of concern to Herne Hill residents. The scheme is for a major residential development, providing almost 150 flats (57 of which would be “affordable”) as well as office and light industrial use, in five blocks ranging between five and 10 storeys. The site is bounded by railway lines on two sides, with Herne Hill Road to the east and Coldharbour Lane to the north.

The scheme met with an unfavourable reception from local people. Opposition to it was organised by the Loughborough Junction Action Group and they had support from Dame Tessa Jowell MP and local Councillors. The principal concerns were that the scheme was misconceived, since it pre-empted Lambeth’s Masterplan for the Loughborough Junction area, that the housing density was too high (and could be even higher if office use was not taken up – as seems probable), that the consequences on local services and infrastructure had not been sufficiently considered and that the consultation process had been inadequate.

The Herne Hill Society was asked by the Loughborough Junction Action Group to support them in their opposition to the scheme. The Society has done so and, particularly thanks to the work of David Taylor, who heads the Society’s planning group, submitted detailed objections to Lambeth on the planning applications.

On 25 November 2014 the applications came before Lambeth’s Planning Committee at Lambeth Council and they were refused. The decision went against the recommendation of the planning officers whose independent report argued in favour of the development. It remains to be seen whether the developers will appeal.

Herne Hill Street Trees Campaign #2

Earlier this year we reported in the Society’s Magazine how Lambeth were no longer replacing street trees. The reason is not hard to find – the Council’s resources have been cut and they have other commitments that take higher priority. Street trees bring many benefits – better air quality, greater pride in our local environment that in turn encourages community well-being, a resource for wildlife, even enhanced house prices! To write them off as a low priority is to our mind shortsighted, but if local authorities cannot be moved, alternatives will need to be pursued.

Over the summer we carried out a survey of all the streets on the Lambeth side of Herne Hill. It was not always easy to say where a tree used to grow. Many pavements have been patched and re-patched so often that you cannot say for sure, though sometimes a tree pit filled with black tarmac is all too evident. We concluded that in the 44 streets we surveyed there was a need to replace 117 missing trees (i.e. tree pits that were empty or capped, or trees that were dead), and about 380 locations where a new tree would be of benefit.

 

Given the hard economic realities of the time and having recently had a meeting with one of the Councillors for Herne Hill ward, we do not feel optimistic about a change in council policy in the foreseeable future. We were too late to put in a bid for any help from the Mayor of London’s Street Tree Initiative/Re-Leaf scheme, and we do not know at this stage whether that scheme will be carried forward to next year. In any case it is only for new planting, unfortunately – not for replacement trees. We are in touch with Trees for Cities, who have planted many trees in London, including Lambeth, but their resources are of course finite. Currently, they have no plans for planting in Lambeth.

We have also learned about the experience of residents in Rollscourt and Cosbycote Avenues who, on having the good fortune of finally getting their street and pavements renewed by Lambeth, decided that their best prospect of having replacement trees as well would be to pass the hat round and pay for 10 themselves. These wil lbe planted as part of the street improvements. This is not cheap (around £450 per tree) but it needs to include insurance and three years’ after-care by the Council. 

The way forward?

We have discovered that there are many people who care greatly about the trees in their street. When a tree is lost they want “something to be done about it”. However, the Society lacks the resources to carry through a project that would see 44 streets properly provided. While we will continue to campaign and raise awareness on the issue and follow up any possibilities of public funding, we think that in the current climate the most effective means of ensuring that our streets stay green is for residents of individual streets or groups of streets to organise locally and raise the necessary funds for new trees themselves.

 

Lambeth has not, it seems, abandoned all pavement improvement works (probably because they are under a statutory duty to maintain the pavement). When such works are carried out, this is of course the best time to include provision for tree planting in the scheme. We have information about the next streets to be resurfaced and to have new pavements, so if you have neighbours keen to get involved in using this opportunity, email us at [email protected]

In Southwark we have a list of all the missing or dead trees we have been notified about, and are in contact with the Tree Officer. It seems likely they are in much the same situation as Lambeth, but we are going to put in an application for replacement trees to Dulwich Community Council under the Cleaner Greener Safer initiative.

 

Compared with some London areas the streets of Herne Hill enjoy a good number of trees, but that number is steadily falling. Without action from residents our streets will lose something of great value.

Herne Hill Street Trees Campaign

As documented in Herne Hill magazine 127 we are campaigning to replace missing street trees in Herne Hill.

A small tree near my house was blown over in one of the winter storms. I emailed Lambeth Council to ask them to remove it and to replace it when the time was right. I was dismayed by the reply, which in essence said the Council is not delivering a planting or replacement programme at this time, due to council wide spending reviews. The reply went on to say the site I had identified would be recorded for future replacement, "should the Council resume tree planting at a later point in time".

The Herne Hill Society committee feels strongly that the presence of street trees adds greatly to the pleasant environment of Herne Hill. Of course they have other benefits, such as the absorption of harmful air pollutants. So we have decided that the first thing to do is assess the size of the problem. And this is where we need your help.

Southwark Council, on the other hand, does still have a tree replacement programme, but do please let us know of any missing trees and we will pass the information on to them.

We would be grateful if as many people as possible, in both Lambeth and Southwark, could let us know if there are empty tree pits in their street, and others nearby, if they can. 

Please email [email protected] with your information.

Sheila Northover

Herne Hill and the 'people's piano'

This short documentary film was shown at the opening of the 2014 Herne Hill Free Film Festival. It was directed by Maureen Ni Fiann and filmed and edited by Tom Rochester.

Those who live in Herne Hill or use the station will know all about the public piano, which has been entertaining us for two years now.

There are some great human stories here. 

Random musical encounters spark community spirit

A short documentary showcasing our famous piano is to be launched at the opening night of this year's Herne Hill Film Festival on Fri 2 May.

The Herne Hill Piano Film, directed by Maureen Ni Fiann, is about the street piano in the Herne Hill Station walkway and its positive impact on the community. It has been made in collaboration with local film-maker Tom Rochester.

The film is an engaging story about the everyday interactions between the piano and those that sit down to play it, dance by it or just go there to listen. 

Maureen noticed how a simple object positioned in the right place could make people behave differently from the stereotype of London as an unfriendly city.

“It naturally encouraged a lot of genuine personal interaction. A major city like London is exciting because of its the diversity. The downside though is that it can be anonymous and isolating. What I thought was a valuable story was that such a simple thing like a piano could make such a difference.

Maureen witnessed conventional stereotypes disappear. Traffic wardens playing gospel music, kids on their way to ballet playing alongside a homeless person, a ‘hoodie’ playing Mozart, policemen on the beat pausing to play a tune. 

Giles Gibson of Herne Hill Forum said: “I thought it would be a great idea to have a piano in the community. There are hundreds of talented musicians out there who do not have regular access to a piano. It gives them the opportunity to share their creativity. That is why that it has survived for two years.”

The Herne Hill Piano blog, a companion to the film, is an invitation for people to share their piano stories.