Lewisham Council has decided to pause on its plans to pedestrianise Deptford High Street following strong opposition from a campaign group made up of local traders and residents.
Campaign group, Save Deptford High Street had urged the council not to pedestrianise the high street and ban cars from accessing it for seven days a week, arguing it would “destroy local businesses, isolate vulnerable residents and accelerate gentrification”.
On Thursday (September 4), the council said no pedestrianisation scheme would come forward without further engagement with the local community, and instead outlined its other plans for the area.
Terry Corne’s family-run shop, Terry’s Discount, has existed on Deptford High Street for the last 50 years. Reacting to the pedestrianisation plans being halted, Terry said: “I’m glad in a way because now customers can come to the shop and pick up heavy stuff and put it in their car and drive off. They’re able to get bags and bags of soil. This is good, I’m glad anyway.”
One improvement Terry would like to see is for the zebra crossing outside the Sainsbury’s Local to be repainted as “people don’t recognise it”.
Following a consultation, which was carried out in April and May of this year and saw almost 3,000 residents respond to the survey, the council found there was a strong public interest in improving cleanliness and waste management on the high street, as well as better lighting to make the high street more welcoming and improve safety.
The council has said it has already repainted the lighting column along the high street and neighbouring Douglas Way and Creekside, removing graffiti and stickers. The footway areas along the whole length of Deptford High Street are expected to undergo a deep clean this month.
Further action will see old phone boxes, damaged signs and poles removed as well as additional planting in the area and improved lighting, especially under the railway bridge. The high street will see cycle hangars installed, enhanced signage and wayfinding to make it easier to get to businesses, and extra enforcement to tackle illegal parking and antisocial behaviour.
The council is expected to make more announcements about when the action is expected to be delivered shortly.
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Ese Erheriene, Cabinet Member for Business, Jobs and Skills at Lewisham Council, said: “Residents and businesses have spoken clearly and we have listened carefully – their views have genuinely shaped the future of Deptford High Street.
“Guided by their feedback from our consultation, we are ensuring the area is even more welcoming, cleaner and safer and a fantastic place to trade and do business.”
Save Deptford High Street, which has garnered 271 signatures from local people on change.org, said the pedestrianisation plans were not improvements for locals, but rather a “death sentence for people who make Deptford what it is”.
The petition partly read: “Deptford High Street is not just a place to pass through, it is a lifeline. It is where elders and families shop, where tradespeople collect supplies, where churches serve the community, and where independent businesses have survived against all odds.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has contacted the campaign group for comment following the update from the council.
