A new map has been published by the Wandle Valley Regional Park Trust. It can be accessed on its website – http://wandlevalleypark.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Wandle-Trail-Map-Interactive.pdf.
We have been actively involved with the Sutton section of this lovely walk and important transport link, enabling one to walk to Morden in 45min and to Merton Abbey Mills in 55min – so much nice than using other forms of transport!
The Cheam North and Worcester Park Local Committee has agreed in principle to construct a new path in Sutton Common Park as shown on the attached plan.
The aim of the scheme is to provide a gravel surfaced path for walkers to use all year round between the pavilion and footpath leading to Morden Way and Elm Road West. It will provide an improved facility for the existing users of the park and will hopefully encourage new users in to the park and through the park on route to other local destinations. A new path is also proposed to link to one of the gates into the playground area. It is not intended to provide street lighting along the path as it is to be promoted as a daytime route only and the gates to the park will continue to be locked at night. Funding for this scheme is available from Transport for London.
The Friends of Sutton Common Park (www.foscp.org.uk) support this proposal as it is identified as an infrastructure improvement scheme in the Parks Master Plan.
Attached below is a consultation letter and plan for the proposed mini roundabout atthe junction below:
. The letter and plan provides information about the proposal and details of where to send your comments and observations.
Here is a link to the GuideDogs home page which is asking for examples of selfish and dangerous pavement parking where there is no room for anyone, let alone a wheelchair user or someone with a pram, to get through.
GuideDogs is a powerful organisation and has a very active lobbying system. They were on the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee subgroup that I was on (representing Living Streets!) that advised on council matters and had a strong presence.
I’ll see if I can get some pics and send them along.
The link is: http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/supportus/campaigns/streets-ahead/pavement-parking/where-is-pavement-parking-happening?Ref=email&dm_i=LDK,4RUKI,MEHSP4,HXXCB,1#.WKisjn-Qn8c
If the link above doesn’t work, search for Guidedogs and get the link via the home page.
Tony P Feb18
The London Borough of Sutton is looking at the possibility of introducing a shared-use cycling/walking route along Green Wrythe Lane between Middleton Circle and Bishopsford Road. There is a school on the route the route is largely residential, but the road is busy and carries a bus route.
Sutton Living Streets has issued this reply:
“Thanks very much for consulting Sutton Living Streets about the Green Wrythe Lane – Shared pedestrian/cycle improvement scheme. We did check with our Living Streets Head Office and were directed to a statement issued by Tompion Platt, Head of Policy at Living Streets (LS). https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/who-we-are/press-media/should-cycling-be-allowed-on-the-pavement.
The statement said that Living Streets believes more people cycling is good for people walking and society more generally. LS agrees that whether on foot or on bike, by far the greatest threat is motor traffic. However, walking and cycling are two very different modes: mixing them together inappropriately can cause fear, anxiety and even serious injury.
The statement says that improving cycle safety and convenience should not diminish the safety and convenience of people walking. And any change to the street environment must take into account the accessibility needs of all kinds of users, including the blind and visually impaired.
“Local highway authorities shouldn’t be let off the hook from building good cycle infrastructure by simply pushing the conflict onto the footway,” the statement concluded.
In the light of this statement from our Head Office I think that we would not be able to support this proposal in its present form. But if the decision is taken to go ahead with the scheme perhaps signs asking cyclists to be aware of pedestrians would be a good idea.”
A draft plan of the proposals is shown here: green-wrythe-lane-t30108-dd-01
The wonderful Wandle Trail now has a very useful map, produced by the Wandle Industrial Museum who have kindly given us permission to include it on our website. The Trail is a most useful transport link between Croydon, Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth. For us in Sutton walking the trail to Morden takes about 45min. Compare that to taking the bus! And what a lovely walk. And accessible too!
You can get details of the lovely Wandle Industrial Museum on http://www.wandle.org. There is a downloadable map available from the museum on http://www.wandle.org/pdfs/Wandle_Trail_Map_Mobile_Tablet_friendly_version%20.pdf.
We have updated our walking map of Sutton and will soon be adding new walks that have recently been put in by the London Borough of Sutton. But we have also been kindly given permission to post the Wandle Trail map which will show the whole of this wonderful walk and important transport link.
A more detailed PDF version is also included. Just click on walkmap2 below to see it.
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