The Purley Village Blog

Original Message posted 15th Dec 2009 by David Lewis

Purley development

TfL money will be spent developing Purley along the lines recommended by the people who put forward the Coulsdon development.
OH NO, STOP THEM.
The work in Coulsdon has blighted it for nine months whilst the group of workmen watched the one man who was working slowly. Traffic lights and mess have seen even more shops in Coulsdon close, never to re-open. And for what benefit? Visually it may look a little more pleasing but there is no improvement to any traffic flow, parking, access or shoppers facility. Nothing to attract people back and nothing which compensates for the massive disruption.
What we want is something which attracts people to Purley by giving them good leisure facilities, free, easy parking, no traffic and attractive and thriving proper shops (not Charity, coffee and craft shops).
Please don't waste this money as they have done in Coulsdon, lets do some proper planning and make the infrastructure work.

Reply posted 18th Dec 2009 by Paul Eyres

Free Parking

Why is it that Coulsdon & Purley have metered parking yet towns in the north if the borough such as Norbury do not. ?

Reply posted 18th Dec 2009 by Paul Sandford

Back to Basics for Purley?

I do think that lessons need to be learned about District Centre regeneration, not only from the Coulsdon experience, as expressed by David Lewis, but from other schemes throughout the country.
Fundamental, before any changes to Purley's traffic management are implemented, is a sound plan to address the flooding risk in the centre of Purley. As we know from the last major flood in 2007 which completely filled up the Tesco underpass and ruined many businesses, the main risk is from runoff from the surrounding hills, not from the Bourne which was culverted many years ago. Tarsem Flora, Chairman of PWRA, has drawn attention to this in a recent issue of PWRA Journal and in other places.
I fear there is no lasting solution to Purley's traffic problems while through traffic is allowed to pass through the town centre. The present scheme is probably the most cost effective that can be achieved, short of sacrificing Russell Hill Road to a two-way traffic flow as it was originally.
Paul Sandford
Chairman, Bourne Society