WIMBLEDON COMMON WEST RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION
Dear Sir
Proposed Double Yellow Lines – Camp Road Area
We are astonished that you are continuing with this proposal in view of your flawed process so far.
There has been a partial consultation of an inadequate and unrepresentative number of local residents which has been a tragic waste of money, and now you propose to waste even more of taxpayers’ money.
In all previous consultations and, let’s face it, this whole thing has been going on far too long, you have consulted with the area en bloc. For this next proposed consultation you have split the areas into three constituent parts. So we have had consultation, we have then had a partial and flawed consultation and now you are proposing a consultation in three separate parts. We do not want this. We want you to consult all of the residents on all of the issues together which affect us. In particular we all want to be able to influence the decision on the double yellow lines around Camp Road/ North View as this is likely to cause displacement of parked vehicles.
You quote Health & Safety. There is no history of accidents within this area. The introduction of double yellow lines may well create an increased hazard due to the increased speed of traffic. This will be a danger to children, pedestrians and horse riders, all of whom live in and use this area.
As disturbing as the waste of money is the fact that Council Officers are misleading committee members. In your document of the Street Management Advisory Committee, 4th September 2007, in paragraph 3.3.1 the 950 bus is described as an essential service and as a mobility bus. In fact, the 950 bus is an expensive environmentally unfriendly privilege driven up from as far as Kent for a few residents of the Almhouses in Camp Road. Other OAPs living in Chester Road, Sycamore Road, etc. have to use the local mobility bus. This is a much smaller vehicle and would service the needs of the area better.
The process is not only flawed in the concept, it is also flawed in the detail. You suggest that there should be double yellow lines at the junction of Southside Common and Westside Common. WHERE? There are already double yellow lines from this junction to the zigzag lines of the Zebra Crossing. Why are you wasting time and money debating and consulting on this area where there is no possible parking problem?
We represent the residents most affected by your proposals. We have asked repeatedly for a meeting to discuss this but you have persisted with this ridiculous process.
Bryan Barkes, our Chairman, has had no response to our letter of the 27th June 2007 asking for a meeting to discuss your proposals. He next received, unofficially and by a circuitous route, a copy of the Minutes of the Street Management Committee meeting of the 4th September. It is very strange that we received no notification that we could attend this meeting but Keith Buckley who claims to represent the interests of the residents of the Almshouses was able to make representations at that meeting.
Please stop this process before it gets completely out of hand. The CPZ does not have the approval of the majority of the residents and is not in the public interest.
Clive Hilton
Secretary
Wimbledon Common West Residents’ Association